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IndustryOilsands8TuesdayMarch182014GeorginaBiscayeChipewyanDneSuneThelateGeorginaBiscayewasfromFortResolution.ShelearnedtospeakDneSuneasachild.Shebelieveditisimportanttopassonthelanguagetoothersandshowedthatevenjustonepersoncanmakeadifferenceinoureffortstokeepourlanguagesaliveandthriving.NORTHERNVOICESIntheNorthwestTerritoriesournorthernvoicesareimportant.ThroughoutourvastterritorynineofcialAboriginallanguagesarespokenwithpride.Tocelebratethisdiversityregionallanguagecommunitiesnominatedindividualscommittedtocultivatingournorthernvoices.ThesechampionsareleadersinourAboriginallanguagescommunityandwethankthemfortheireffortsandcontributionstothesurvivalofourlanguages.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheAlbertaEnergyReg-ulatorAERquietlyputthefreezeonsteam-assistedbi-tumenminingprojectsintheFortMcMurrayregioninJanuaryduetoconcernsaboutimpactsoncaprockintegrity.InabulletinissuedtoindustryonJan.282014AERsvicepresidentofoperationsKirkBaileysaidsteamassistedgravitydrainageSAGDprojectswouldbesuspendeduntilthecompletionofathor-oughtechnicalreviewtodeterminethefactorsaf-fectingreservoircontain-mentandthatdecisionsonapplicationsforthermaloilsandsprojectswouldbedeferreduntilformalreg-ulatoryrequirementsaredeveloped.TheAERissatisedthatdeferringdecisionsonap-plicationsunderthesecir-cumstancessupportssafeandresponsibledevelop-mentattheseprojectsandwillensuretheconsistencyofregulatorydecisionsuntilnewfullyconsultedandAlbertaregulatorhaltssteam-assistedoilsandsminingtechnicallysupportedre-quirementsareinplacestatesthebulletin.Fivecompanieshavebeenaffectedbythefreezewhichislimitedtotheshallow-100to150metresdeep-thermalareaoftheWabiskaw-McMurraydepositdirectlynorthofFortMcMurray.AccordingtoAERspokes-personTracieMoorethestudyintoreservoircontainmentispartoftheregulatorsongoingassessmentstoensurerequire-mentappropriatelymitigaterisksofdevelopmentandhasbeenapriorityformanyyears.SAGDisatypeofinsituoil-sandsproductionthatpumpssteamathighpressuresunder-groundtoheatthebitumensothatitcanbepumpedtosurface.CurrentlytheAERassessesreservoircontainmentbymea-suringcaprockintegrityanddeterminingthemaximumpressureatwhichsteamcanbepumpedunderground.Caprockintegrityisestab-lishedinpartbyacquiring3-Dseismicdataoftheentiredevelopmentarea.Maximumpressureiscalculatedusingasetformula.Acaprockmusthavesufficientthicknessandcompetencyandbecontin-uousacrosstheprojectareatocontainsteamandheatedreservoiruidsstatesthebulletin.Mooresaidtheshallowareahasbeenspecicallychosenasatestarea.TheAERbelievesthattheriskofsteamandreser-voiruidsbeingreleasedatsurfaceisgreaterifreservoircontainmentiscompromisedduetotheshallownatureoftheresourceshesaid.Mooreexpectsthetechni-calreviewtotakemonths.TheAERhasnotyetes-tablishedareleasedateforthetechnicalregulatoryreviewofinsitureservoircontain-mentshesaid.Publish-ingformalrequirementsisacomplextechnicalissueandwearecommittedtogivingstakeholdersathoroughop-portunitytoprovideinput.OncetheshallowthermalareahasbeenreviewedtheAERintendstoreviewthedeeperareaMooresaid.ThesuspensiondoesnotimpactCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.sCNRLssteaminsituoperationsnearColdLakewherebitumenhasbeenleakinginexplica-blyandunstoppablytothesurfaceatseveralsitesfornearlyayear.ThecurrentregulatoryfocusintheColdLakeareaistoinvestigatetherootcauseoftheCNRLPrimroseincidentandtousewhatislearnedthroughtheinvestigationtoensurereservoircontainmentismaintainedatcyclicsteamsimulationCSSoperationsMooresaid.CaprockintegrityresearchalsounderwayAsecondprojectbytheAERalongwiththeAlbertaGeologi-calSurveyisdoinggeologicalmappingofalargerpilotareaoverlappingtheshallowthermalareainnortheasternAlbertatomeasurecaprockintegrity.Startedin2009byAERspredecessortheEnergyRe-sourcesConservationBoardtheworkintendstogetabetterunderstandingofthegeologicalfactorsaffectingthequalityofcaprocksealsabovebitumenresources.TheOilSandsCaprockIntegrityProjectOSCRIPworksincollaborationwiththetechnicalreviewofreser-voircontainmentbutisspe-cicallyaimedatgeologicalmappingandthecharacter-izationofgeologyaboveandbelowbitumenreservoirs.Whileanincidentreviewdatabasewassupposedtobeestablishedforinsituproj-ectsthroughOSCRIPMooresaidthathasnowchanged.Afteraninitialreviewofincidencesrelatedtothermalinsituoilsandswefoundthattherewasinsufcientdatatocreateadatabaseaswasini-tiallyplannedaspartoftheOilSandsCaprockIntegrityProject.TheAERnowpub-lishesallincidentsonitsIn-cidentReportingtoolontheAERwebsite.Shesaidnewtechnicalre-portsfromOSCRIPwillbepostedonlinesoonbutdidnotgiveadate.PhotocourtesyofAlbertaEnergyRegulatorTheAERbelievesthattheriskofsteamandreservoiruidsbeingreleasedatsurfaceisgreaterifreservoircontainmentiscompromisedduetotheshallownatureoftheresource.TracieMooreAlbertaEnergyRegulatorPhotoHilaryTurkoShawnTourangeauandKaleWysehighschoolstudentsatPaulWilliamKaeserinFortSmithlletshduringtheirwinterculturecamplastweek.TheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorisdoingatechnicalreviewofSAGDprojectsnorthofFortMcMurraytheregionwithinthedottedline.