Trican 12-08-061-05W4
Well Decommissioning Program
Bonnyville Community Update
Ongoing Operation and Management of the Historic Well
Background
The Orphan Well Association (OWA) has been directed by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) to address concerns with a leaking historic gas well located in the 4500 block between 45th and 46th Avenue within the Town of Bonnyville. The well was drilled by the defunct licensee Trican Petro-Chemical Corporation in 1954. As the company has not been in existence since the 1960’s, the AER designated the well as an “orphan” and directed the OWA to decommission the well. The OWA wants to ensure nearby residents and other stakeholders are informed of our ongoing safety efforts, and the pending repair and decommissioning plans for the well.
At the time this area of Bonnyville was developed, there were no requirements to identify historic wells as part of development plans. In 2012, rules were established by Alberta Municipal Affairs that made it a requirement to help prevent these types of situations from occurring. For more information on this requirement, please visit https://www.aer.ca/regulating-development/rules-and-directives/directives/directive-079.
Ongoing Monitoring and Response Program
In June of this year, the well, which was previously decommissioned to the standard of the day, was found to be leaking minor volumes of sweet natural gas (mostly methane). In response, the wellbore was located and excavated, and a monitoring program was implemented to regularly check gas levels in the vicinity of the wellbore. This monitoring continues several times per week.
The OWA has also installed a vapour recovery system near the well to capture gas from the soil. While the vapour recovery system has helped to reduce gas volumes in the soil, some minor levels of gas remain in soils near the wellbore and to an area south and east of the well.
As a safety precaution, the OWA installed continuous methane detection units in several homes in the vicinity of the well to ensure methane levels remain at safe levels. We continue to monitor these units which provide live data 24 hours per day.
Additional Mitigation
The OWA is installing additional mitigation measures that we hope to have in place by the end of November 2024.This additional mitigation should help to ensure homes in the area of the well remain safe.
Based on our sampling to date, we are satisfied the area around the well remains safe and does not pose a risk to residents or the public.
The OWA continues to work closely with the AER, the Town of Bonnyville, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, and Alberta Health Services to ensure public safety is maintained.
Homes to be Removed
Some homes in the immediate vicinity of the wellbore will need to be demolished in order to provide access for a drilling rig so the well can be properly decommissioned.
Once purchase agreements have been finalized, residents will need some time before vacating their properties. The OWA recognizes this will be a difficult time and we want to give displaced residents time to move from their homes.
Decommissioning Plans
We have been working for several months to develop detailed plans for the decommissioning of the well. Our plans call for the smallest possible footprint for the drill rig while ensuring the safe decommissioning of the well. It is anticipated that the earliest date for this work would be in early 2025. This is subject to change based on multiple parameters and stakeholder feedback.
The decommissioning program will require very careful and detailed plans for on-site operations and access to and egress from the site. Issues such as traffic patterns, road closures, timing of operations, duration of operations, noise and light impacts and mitigation, are currently being reviewed. The OWA wants to ensure we engage with residents around pending operations and will hold an open house several weeks prior to mobilizing the drilling rig. This will be an opportunity to not only provide information on our plans, but also enable residents and other stakeholders to share their concerns and questions. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact us via the link at the end of this newsletter.
Thanks
The OWA would like to recognize the Town of Bonnyville, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, the AER, and Alberta Health Services for their cooperation and assistance in helping us develop mitigation and decommissioning plans for this well.
Stay Up-To-Date –Get the most up-to-date information on the project from our website http://www.orphanwell.ca/community/
Questions? – If you have questions about this project; please email us at .