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.

The fresh water was being stored in preparation for use in fracking operations, which have not begun, according to Stewart.

Further details are not available while the matter is under investigation, she added.

"This will delay our fracturing operations," she stated, declining to provide further details regarding the timeline.

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.

Fracking operations were rescheduled for late January, but remain on hold following the most recent incident.

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.