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EnvironmentOilsands9TuesdayJuly152014SUMMERTENNISNeedLessonsFreewithmembershipor5dropin.STARTINGJULY21.Mon.Wed.andFri.115p.m.-230p.m.Youthages7-14Thurs.615p.m.-730p.m.BeginneradultsMembershipYouth2000Adult2500Family4500CONTACTJoanat867-872-2899or867-872-2582ByMEAGANWOHLBERGSixyearsaftertheAl-bertagovernmentreleaseditsstrategyformitigatingclimatechangebyreducinggreenhousegasemissionstheauditorgeneralsaysithasnoevidencetheplanismeetingitstargets.Theplanunveiledin2008setsemissionsreductiontar-getsfor2020and205070percentofwhichisexpectedtobemetthroughcarboncaptureandstorage.Italsoincludesalawrequiringlargepollut-erstoreduceemissionsby12percentorpay15foreverytonneexceedingthattarget.InhisreportAuditorGen-eralMerwanSahersaidtheprovincialgovernmenthasyettoreleaseapublicreportontheperformanceofthestrategylaunchedin2008andonlycreatedanimple-mentationplanforthestrat-egytwoyearsago-aplanthathasnotsincebeenupdatedandhasbeenineffectiveinmonitoringtheperformanceofthegovernment-fundedac-tionstoreducegreenhousegasemissions.ThereisnoevidenceofregularmonitoringofeconomicdownturnAlbertasemissionshaveremainedonthesamegrowthtrajectoryasbeforethepolicywasimple-mentedhesaidlastweek.ReadsaidwhileAlbertasclimatepolicyiscurrentlyfocusedonlargeindustrialemittershesaiditleavesoutpossiblereductionsinthewayAlbertansuseenergy.AsboththeCanadianandAlbertangovernmentsarequicktopointout70to80percentofemissionsassoci-atedwithoilcomesfromthenalcombustionofthefuelinourvehicles.Itisthereforeimportantforaneffectivecli-matepolicytomotivatepeopletochangetheirhabitswhenitcomestoenergyusehesaid.AlbertawhichistheonlyjurisdictioninNorthAmericawithoutanenergyefciencyprogramisnowconsideringoneforresi-denceswhichReadnotescouldallowtheprovincetoachievehalfofits2020reductiontargetsandsavemorethan1.5billionperyearinenergycosts.AuditorGeneralslamsAlbertaclimatechangepolicyEnvironmentClimateChangeprogresstowardstrategytargetsbetween2008and2012Saherwrote.Thereisnoclearlinkbetweentheimplementationplanandmonitoringandreporting...Thedepartmenthasnoclearguidanceoreffectivemoni-toringtoensurestrategyre-viewdeliverablesandtime-linesarebeingmet.Theauditalsofoundzeroevidenceofformalmonitor-ingoftheprogrambythesteeringcommitteeorreg-ularmeetingsbetweenthecommitteeanditsworkinggroups.EvendespitethelackofmonitoringSaherobservedthattheprovincialgovern-mentrealizedin2012thatitwouldntbemeetingits2020target.Thoughtheprovinceinvested1billionintwocarbonandcapturestorageprojectsthoseareonlyex-pectedtocontributetotalreductionsof3megatonnesbytheendofthedecadede-spitetheoriginaltargetof35megatonnes.Withonlytwocarboncaptureandstorageprojectsplannedthetotalemissionsreductionsareexpectedtobelessthan10percentofwhatwasoriginallyanticipatedSahernoted.Thereportadvisesthegov-ernmentadheretorepeatedrecommendationsbytheau-ditorgeneralwhichincludecreatingandmaintaininganimplementationplanforthestrategythatwillmeetthe2020and2050emissionstar-getsandtosomehowmodelitschosenactionstodetermineiftheywillactuallyachievethosetargets.Theplanalsoneedstobeupdatedannuallyandincludetheproperinformationtomonitorprogress.Withoutanimplementa-tionplanthatincludescrite-riatoselectandevaluateac-tionsthegovernmentcannotknowwhethertheactionsitisfundingwillhelpAlbertaachieveitstargetstoreducegreenhousegasemissionsandwhetheritisdoingsocost-ef-fectivelySaherconcluded.AndrewReadofthePem-binaInstitutesaidthelackofactionisdisappointingbutnotsurprising.OurreviewofAlbertasemissionsshowsthatfollow-ingabriefdipduetothe2008ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnewreportbyoilcom-panyCanadianNaturalRe-sourcesLtd.CNRLac-knowledgesthatcracksinthecaprockatitsoilsandsleasenearColdLakemayberesponsibleforthebitumenleaksthathavebeenrisinguncontrollablytothesurfaceforoverayear.Bitumenwasrstdiscov-eredleakingfromfourloca-tionsonthecompanysPrim-rosesite350kmnortheastofEdmontoninMayandJuneof2013.Atoneofthoseloca-tionsbitumenowedtothesurfacebelowasmalllakewhichhadtobedraineddur-ingcleanup.About12000barrelsofbitumenhavesurfacedsincetheleaksbeganresultingintheremovalanddisposalofover82000tonnesofcon-taminatedsoilandvegetation.Whilemaintainingthatthepathwayforthebitumentothesurfaceismostlikelythroughawellborefailurethecausationreviewreportsub-mittedtotheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERlastweekacknowledgesthatlargesteamingvolumeschangethestressstatesofcappingshales.Apartfromproactivelyre-mediatingwellswithinthecompromisesboththeintegrityoftheprojectasawholeandotherprojectsusingsimilarcyclicsteamstimulationCSStechnologytoextractbitumen.Theentiredesignoftheprojectisbasedontheprem-isethattheClearwatercappingshaledoesnotcontainnaturalfracturesandwillnotfractureinresponsetothekindsofpressurecreatedbyCNRLsactivities.Thisexpectationisthebasisuponwhichtheproj-ectreceiveditsregulatoryap-provalhewroteinresponselastweek.IfhowevertheClearwatercappingshalescannotwith-standthesepressuresthentheentireCSSprojectconceptneedstobere-evaluated.ThisdiscoverywouldalsocallintoquestionthelegitimacyofotherpermitsthatweregrantedbytheAER...forotherprojectsusinghighpressureCSS.AddingtonsaidCNRLhaslearnedalotfromthereviewandisrevisingitsmethodsofmitigatingtheriskoffutureseepages.Wearenotintendingtoapplyforhighpressuresteam-inginPrimroseEastuntilthenalreporthasbeensubmit-tedshesaid.Itisimportanttorememberthatthemitigationstrategieswehavedevelopedgoingforwardwillmitigateagainstanypathwaytosurfacemostlikelymechanicalfailureofwellboresbutwillalsomiti-gateagainsttheverylowprob-abilitythatgeologicfailuresinthemassiveColoradoshalecaprockcouldprovideapartofthepathwaytosurface.BroadreviewneededcriticsSeverson-BakersaidCNRLsreportisunlikelytocomeasasurprisetotheAERwhoseinvestigationthendoneastheEnergyResourcesConserva-tionBoardofthecompanys2009blowoutonthesameleaseconcludedtheleakedbitumenwastheresultofhighsteampressureandweaknessinthecaprock.TheAERhasyettoan-nouncetheresultsofitsinves-tigationintothemorerecentleaks.WhileCNRLhasbeenpermittedrestrictedsteamingoperationsatthesiteSeverson-Bakerdoubtsfulloperationswillbeallowedtorestart.TheonusisnowontheAERtocompleteitsinvesti-gationandconsiderifabroadreviewofthisnewandmuchmoreintenseformofCSSusedbyCNRLismeritedhesaid.TheAERshouldadoptamoreprecautionaryapproachgiventherepeatedfailuresofthistechnique.CrackedcaprockcouldbecauseofbitumenleaksCNRLareathemitigationplanpro-posedbythecompanyalsonowaimstomodifysteam-ingstrategiestominimizechangesinthecappingshalesandlimitthepotentialforuidreleasesalongwithenhancedpressureandsub-surfacemonitoring.WesaidthemostlikelycauseofapathwaythroughtheColoradoshalesisme-chanicalfailureofawell-boreandthisconclusionhasnotchanged.WecommittedtoreviewingalloptionsandthisisreectedinthereportCNRLspokespersonZoeAddingtontoldTheJournalinanemail.WhatwehavelearnedisthatinthepresenceoflargeinjectedsteamvolumesandwithapathwaymostlikelyamechanicalfailureofawellboreintotheColo-radoshalethefracturecanworkitswaytosurface.Butyoumusthavemorethanonecontributingfactorforthistypeofeventtooccurshesaid.ImplicationsforotherprojectsThereportmarksthersttimethecompanyhasacknowl-edgedthepossibilityofcaprockfailurewhichforyearsithaddenieddespiteenvironmen-talgroupsandsomescientistspointingtofracturesastheprobablecauseoftheleaksdeservingofanofcialinves-tigationbytheAER.ChrisSeverson-Bakerare-searcheratthePembinaInsti-tutesaidthereportisacriti-caladmissionbyCNRLthatBitumenisfoundseepingfromssuresinthegroundonCNRLsPrimroseleaselastsummer.PhotocourtesyofCNRL