CALGARY — Erin Flanagan, analyst at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to a technical review released by the Alberta Energy Regulator, looking at the causes of bitumen flowing to the surface at Canadian Natural Resources Limited’s (CNRL) Primrose oilsands facility:
“This technical report confirms that CNRL’s project design and operation are the root cause of bitumen emulsion coming to the surface. The first such flow-to-surface event happened in 2009, and the leaks currently in question started in June 2013. The technical review has identified CNRL’s steam injection volumes and well spacing as key contributors to these leaks.
“These findings call into question whether high-pressure cyclic steam stimulation activity should be permitted at the CNRL Primrose facility.
"Given these findings, we urge the AER to broaden the technical review to include the entire CNRL high-pressure cyclic steam stimulation project. This will help ensure that the public and the environment is protected from the risk of similar accidents."
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Contact
Erin Flanagan (English / français)
Analyst, Pembina Institute
587-581-1701
Background
For more information about the ongoing bitumen emulsion releases in Cold Lake, see the following:
Blog: CNRL admits design failure could have caused Primrose bitumen leaks (June 2014)
Media release: Pembina reacts to CNRL’s application to resume oilsands operations while bitumen continues to leak near Cold Lake, Alberta (March 2014)
Blog: Another chapter unfolds in CNRL’s oilsands bitumen blowout in Cold Lake, Alberta (October 2013)
Blog: What’s really happening at the CNRL blowout site? (August 2013)
Blog: Cold Lake bitumen blowout first test for new energy regulator (July 2013)
