Fracking delayed again
Freshwater retention pools releases 2,700 cubic metres of water at ConocoPhillips' Sahtu drill site Daron Letts Northern News Services Published Friday, February 7, 2014 SAHTU
The NWT's first horizontal hydraulic fracturing program is in the midst of its second delay, following an incident at ConocoPhillips' Canol shale play in the Sahtu on Feb. 5.
A spill from fresh water retention pool released approximately 2,700 cubic metres of water, according to company spokesperson Lauren Stewart.
The horizontal hydraulic fracturing program, commonly known as "fracking," has been delayed while the incident is under investigation, Stewart stated in an e-mail to News/North. There were no injuries and "no environmental damage is expected," she added.
"Safety is our priority and we are taking precautions to ensure that site is safe to proceed. There is a need to move our heavy equipment out of the area where the fresh water release occurred. We will need to repair the ice pad to resume operations," she stated.
The company filed an incident report with the National Energy Board later that day, though it was not mandatory to do so because the fluid involved was freshwater, according to Tara O'Donovan, communications officer with the board.
"It is considered a non-reportable incident," O'Donovan said "They're not required to report it by law, but they did let us know."
The fresh water was being stored on the north side of the lease in a large capacity containment pond that uses a plastic liner to contain the water inside a metal ring, akin to an above ground pool, in preparation for use in fracking operations, which have not begun, according to Stewart.
"This will delay our fracturing operations," she stated, adding the water did not affect the well.
"We do not expect a delay of more than a week."
The corporation's water licence dictates that fracking operations for the season be completed by March.
Originally scheduled to frack two wells in late December, ConocoPhillips first halted its drilling program in mid-December to conduct a safety check after a worker was struck when a winch line failed on Dec. 13. The accident occurred while rig equipment was being moved, according to Stewart.
The worker has since returned home to Alberta and the matter is under investigation.
At the time, fracking operations were rescheduled for late January.
Fracking involves sand, water, and chemicals pumped at high pressure into cracks in a geological formation, creating fractures in the surrounding rock. When pressure is released, gas and oil is forced into the well bore.