Setting the Stage for Successful Reclamation Strategies

Setting the Stagefor Successful

Reclamation StrategiesSession Number 19

Sponsored by: CAPLA

Presented by: Paul Kelly

Session Focus

● Upstream Oil & Gas

● Alberta Regulatory Framework

● Remediation & Reclamation

● Emerging Environmental Issues

● Question & Answer

● “Top Picks” Approach

● Relate to Surface Land & Environment

● Use Real World Examples

Session Elements

● Well Site Restoration

● Remediation

● Reclamation

● Emerging Issues

Well Site Restoration● Well Down Hole Abandonment

● Well Casing Cut & Cap

● Well Facilities Decommissioning

● Contaminated Site Remediation

● Remediation Certificate (?)

● Well Site & Access Road Reclamation

● Reclamation Certificate

Well Site Restoration● Abandonment

● “Well Oriented”● Drilling Department

● Completions Department

● Mineral Land Department

● Remediation & Reclamation● “Surface Oriented”

● Environment Department

● Surface Land Department

Remediation

● Assessment● Phase I ESA – historical review (Land Files & Landowner)

● Phase II ESA – selective site sampling (Ground Disturbance)

● Delineation – determine extent of contamination

● Confirmatory Testing – prove remediation

● Monitoring – measure progress

Remediation● Decontamination – Removal of Pollution

● Types of Contamination – Release● Crude Oil / Condensate

● Produced Water

● Drilling Fluids● Barite (mud weight additive)

● Chromium / Zinc / Lead (other additives)

● Process Chemicals● Glycols (gas dehydrators)

● Amines (sour gas treaters)

● Sulfolane (gas plants)

Remediation

New Spills

Remediation● Remediation Guidelines – pursuant to EPEA

● Draft Tier 2 Eco-contact Guideline Derivation Protocol

(AENV, July 2007)

● Alberta Tier 1 & 2 Soil and Groundwater Remediation

Guidelines (AENV, June 2007)

● Soil Quality Guidelines for Barite: Environmental Health and

Human Health (AENV, 2004)

● Salt Contamination Assessment and Remediation

Guidelines (AENV, 2001)

Pollution Prevention – Health Protection – Productive Use

Remediation● Remediation Parameters

● Petroleum Hydrocarbons – Crude Oil

● BTEX (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylenes)

● F1 (C6 – C10)

● F2 (C>10 – C16)

● F3 (C>16 – C34)

● F4 (C>34 – C50)

● PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

● Carcinogenic PAHs

Remediation● Remediation Parameters

● Salinity Parameters – Produced Water

● EC (electrical conductivity)

● SAR (sodium adsorption ratio)

● chloride

● other anions and cations

● Individual Trace Metals● Pb (lead), Hg (mercury), etc.

● Ba as BaSO4 (barite)

Remediation● Remediation Criteria

Soil and groundwater numerical quality standards defined by…

● Parameters of Concern

● Soil Type

● Exposure Pathways

● Land Use● Natural Areas

● Agricultural Lands

● Residential/Parkland

● Commercial

● Industrial

Remediation● Remediation Methods

● Dig & Dump (Landfill)

● Bioremediation (Biocell / Landfarm / Biopile)

● Thermal Desorption

● Road Bed Construction

● Remediation Activities – ground disturbance

● Borehole Drilling

● Soil Excavation & Handling – work space / odour issues

● Soil Loading & Transporting – access

Remediation

Phase II ESA

($25,000 to $35,000 +)

Remediation

Remediation

($50,000 + + )

Remediation

Remediation

($1,000,000 + + +)

Remediation● Remediation Objectives

● Human Health & Ecological Protection● Remove Source

● Tier 1 Criteria – Generic to Alberta

● Tier 2 Criteria – Modified using site specific data

● Control Source● Exposure Control – site specific criteria plus mitigation

● Risk Management

● Remediation Certificate● per Contaminated Area within Site

Reclamation

● Assessment● Complete Remediation Components

● Detailed Site Assessment (DSA)● Landscape

● Soils

● Vegetation

Reclamation● Reclamation Guidelines – pursuant to EPEA

● Upstream Oil & Gas Reclamation Certificate Application

Guidelines (AENV, January 2008)

● Draft Reclamation Assessment Criteria for Pipelines

(External Soils Advisory Board, 2001)

● Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities -

Forested Lands in the Green Area Update (ASRD, 2007)

● Wellsite Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated

Facilities (AENV, 1995)

Equivalent Land Capability

Reclamation● Reclamation Activities – ground disturbance

● Backfilling & Recontouring

● Subsoiling / Ripping / Decompaction

● Topsoil Replacement

● Seeding

● Fencing

● Weed Control

Reclamation

Backfill / Contour

Reclamation

Topsoil / Admixing / Compaction

Reclamation

Ready for DSA

Reclamation● Reclamation Objectives

● Equivalent Land Capability

● Reclamation Certificate Application (RCA)● Landowner Consulted / Contacted

● Completed DSA & Site Passes

● Drilling Waste Documents / Phase II ESA / Remediation

● Phase I ESA / Phase II ESA / Remediation

● RCA Provided to Landowner (30 days prior)

● Professional Declaration Form – Competencies / Joint Practice Standard

● Overlap Exemptions

● Land Use Change Documentation

● Other Reclamation Certificates

● Unresolved Landowner Complaint - Non-routine RCA

ReclamationSUCCESS REQUIRES…

● Internal Corporate Harmony

● Surface Land Environment Communications ● Different companies have different structures

● Establish corporate goals – get on the same page

● Develop & document effective business procedures

● Make clear roles & responsibilities

● Make agreed upon adjustments as necessary

Emerging Issues● Urban Encroachment

● Set Back Issues – active / abandoned wells

● Land use changes

● Closer proximity to human receptors

● Closer proximity to foreign contamination sources

● Higher release consequence risk

● Multiple landowners

● Urban Developers – a new type of stakeholder

● Municipal Government involvement

Emerging Issues● Coal Bed Methane & Groundwater

● Landowner concerns about groundwater quality

● Information vs. Misinformation

● Regulators vs. NGO’s vs. Corporations

● New well testing requirements implemented

● Methane occurs naturally in some water wells

● Carbon isotope test is relatively new and inconclusive

● Media, public & judiciary lack expertise to make call

● Issue has become a political football

Q & A

● Questions?