ConocoPhillips began fracturing first well Sunday despite setbacks late last week

NNSL staff
Northern News Services
Updated Wednesday, February 12, 2014

LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
Hydraulic fracturing commenced Sunday on the first of two horizontal wells despite a freshwater spill last week that ConocoPhillips reported would delay its operation near Norman Wells for approximately a week.

A memo sent to media outlets by the company informed them of the change and of the fact a media tour, which had been cancelled due to the accident, would not be rescheduled.

“With this sooner-than-expected timeline, the logistical challenges supersede our ability to conduct a hydraulic fracturing tour for media this week,” the statement from Jennifer Werbicki, communications adviser, read.

According to the memo, although experts expected a week-long delay, the team working on repairing the damage was able to complete its work much sooner than expected.

“Hydraulic fracturing was intended to begin on Feb. 6. The amount of repair required after the water release ended up being less than anticipated, which allowed us to move forward on fracturing operations,” ConocoPhillips stated in a follow up e-mail after News/North requested additional information.

The investigation into what caused the leak at the freshwater retention pool is still under investigation.

“We anticipate that the investigation will be complete within the week. Once the outcome of the investigation is complete, we will take the necessary steps to prevent future occurrences,” the company stated.

When asked if the company was concerned about how the sudden change of schedule might be perceived by the public, Werbicki stated such adjustments are a normal part of doing business.

“We have been open and transparent with the community and have provided updates when available. Hydraulic fracturing is a complex operation and it is common for anticipated dates of fracturing operations to change. This is especially true during the exploration phase,” the statement read.

Fracturing of the first well is expected to take approximately a week and use between 8,000 and 9,000 cubic metres of water.

“Flowback water (contaminated water that comes back up the well during the fracking process) is stored in tanks, and then trucked or barged to Alberta or British Columbia for disposal in approved waste facilities,” Werbicki stated.

"Of the water used for hydraulic fracturing, up to 50 percent of the water may flow back to the surface. This water contains produced hydrocarbons: the amount of hydrocarbon is dependent on the characteristic of the rock, along with other variables. The flowback water goes through a separator unit, which separates the water from the produced hydrocarbon. This water is transferred to steel storage tanks until it can be placed on a truck or barge."