Risks to Groundwater from Oil and Gas Drilling and Completion
Jean Birks, Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures
GL 913851
Several recent, high profile cases have been making news in Alberta, with land owners complaining that Oil & Gas operations have caused impacted their water wells. Consultant investigations into these complaints have generally indicated that CBM operations did not impact the water wells, but the results were not entirely conclusive. The perceived impacts from Oil & Gas drilling and completions activity may be far greater than documented cases where impacts have been shown to have or likely to have occurred.
ARC will compile a list of documented cases of impact to shallow groundwater from drilling and completions activities in the Alberta Basin. The two major sources for this information will be AENV and ERCB. ARC has worked extensively with the groups responsible for water well complaints at both these organizations and has very good working relationships. An additional source of information is directly from energy companies. ARC will contacted and interview the personnel responsible for handling water well complaints from several energy companies. ARC will also attempt to document suspected or likely cases of groundwater impact from drilling and completions activities in the Alberta Basin.