Setting the Stage for Successful Reclamation Strategies
Transcript of 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
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● 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● 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● 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