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Environmental Management in Alberta: Update on Water Priorities. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development November 2012. Outline. What Alberta Context How Evolution of Water Management Water Focus Areas When Moving Forward. Provincial Context. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Environmental Management in Alberta: Update on Water Priorities
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
November 2012
OutlineWhat• Alberta Context
How• Evolution of Water Management • Water Focus Areas
When• Moving Forward
Provincial Context• Alberta is blessed with a range of natural resources• Economic diversification is important for long-term
sustainability… • …but natural resources will continue to play a foundation
role in current and future quality of life for the foreseeable future
• Experiences with resource management provides an expertise and skill set for emerging global challenges
• Shift in Alberta from abundance and room to grow, to a need for enhanced management
Confluence of Priorities
LicenseTo
Operate
Energy•Growing demand for oil and gas
•Desire for alternatives (clean gas?)
Environment•Lower footprint
•Increased transparency•Water
Economy•Resource economy
•Value add•Economic recovery
Social•Quality of life
•Population growth / interface with development
Management Approach: Guiding Principles
• Transparency– In management intent– In the type and confidence of the data that is collected
(and what is not collected)
• Credibility – In the systems (including people) used (independence
where necessary)– In the data collected and provided
• Relevance – In the systems used and data collected
Cumulative Effects(evolving realities)
Provide regional context for decisions about future activities and management of existing activities Shift from one-off authorizations with consideration for current circumstances to decisions based on regional ‘expectations’
Establishing limits and triggers
Monitoring and modeling to assess conditions
Response to triggers, including validation, investigation,
management actions and reporting
Policy Controls
Evolution of Environmental Management
Assessment /Evaluation /
Decommissioning / Reclamation
ApprovalMonitoring / Research
Air Water Land
Biodiversity
Abatement /Enforcement
Standards Objectives Guidelines
Criteria
Oil and Gas Regulatory Framework
Public Interface
Management Areas
Current Legislation, Directive or Guideline relating to Fracturing Regulatory Body
Site
Characterization
and Planning
Oil and Gas Conservation Act and Regulations Alberta Energy
Directive 056: Energy Development Applications ERCB
Directive 029: Energy and Utility Development Applications and the Hearing Process ERCB
Directive 031: Guidelines for the Energy Proceeding Cost Claims ERCB
Provincial Groundwater Inventory Program ESRD
Well
Construction Directive 008: Surface Casing Depth Requirements
ERCB
Directive 009: Casing Cementing Minimum Requirements ERCB
Operating
& Monitoring
Requirements
Directive 036: Drilling Blowout Prevention Requirements and Procedures ERCB
Directive 038: Noise Control ERCB
Directive 044: Requirements for the Surveillance of Water Production in Oil and Gas Wells ERCB
Directive 050: Drilling Waste Management ERCB
Directive 027: Shallow Fracturing Operations-Restricted Operations ERCB
Directive 035: Baseline Water Testing Requirements for Coalbed Methane Wells ERCB
Directive 051: Injection and Disposal Wells - Well Classifications, Completions, Logging, and Testing ERCB
Directive 059: Well Drilling & Completion Data Filing Requirements ERCB
Collection of fracture fluids (not currently disclosed) ERCB
Water Use,
Wastewater /
Waste Handling
Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act – water use, re-use and discharge (none) ESRD
Water Act – water use (and water impacts) ESRD
Directive 055: Storage Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry ERCB
Directive 058: Oilfield Waste Management Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry ERCB
Other Directive 020: Well Abandonment ERCB
Remediation Certificate Regulation ESRD
Alberta Tier I and Tier II Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines ESRD
Current Operating Requirements
Unconventional Oil and Gas• Dispersed on the landscape
– No set ‘region’
• Multiple players– Includes service elements
• Range of impacts on the land– Some focused and accumulated (air, noise,
footprint)– Others dispersed (source of water, waste
management, truck traffic)
• Impact themes: – Risks relating to water use– Risks relating to development disturbance (above and below ground)– Risks relating to intensity of activity Magnified by pace
• Emerging response themes: – Development
• Reduce: e.g. overall consumptions; surface to ground water; non-saline to saline• Re-Use: e.g. storage• Recycle: e.g. sharing• Industry commitments (CAPP Principles)
– Management • Cumulative effects-focused, play-based• Collaboration and engagement
– Knowledge• Transparency• Reporting
Response Considerations
Response Areas
• Government of Alberta – integrated management approach to addressing areas of enhancement– Range of potential actions identified based on risk areas and
nested in cumulative effects context– Initial areas of focus include:
• Unconventional Regulatory Framework (play-based management approach)
• Expanded Water Conservation for all Oil and Gas
• Expanded Baseline Water Well Testing
• Disclosure of fluids
• Reporting of water use (volume and source)
Oil Sands Information Portal
(re) Framing the Water Discussion
• Tremendous effort over the past few years on addressing specific water issues– Alberta Water Council, Ministerial Advisory Groups, Association
actions
• Recognition that many of these challenges require a broader discussion on water – the Alberta Water story– Not about stepping back from good ideas, but taking a higher
view of the issues facing Albertans
• Re-set on the context will be the initial focus for engagement
Water Conversation• Key Elements
– Broad conversation across the province • About confirming the agenda and priorities and to
establish a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities
• Also to confirm what is not on the table
– Foundation is Water for Life• About ensuring water for people, environment and
economy
– Precursor to advancing potential policy options to address priority issues
Potential Focus Areas• Areas that:
– Span the interests and needs of all Albertans– Require more immediate focus and action– Have already involved significant analysis and assessment– Require action in support of achieving economic, social and/or
environmental objectives
• Proposed areas:– Water Management– Hydraulic Fracturing– Healthy Lakes– Drinking Water / Wastewater Sustainability
Moving Forward• Government has outlined a clear intent to continue to develop
natural resources, but in a way that reflects responsible development– Approach based on cumulative effects management
• Management frameworks and regional governance will be critical to ensure systems are appropriate– Frameworks will build on past experience including respect of existing
rights – Work on water needs appropriate connection to regional planning
• New ways of ensuring meaningful engagement is required to provide assurance – early days, but must reflect key guiding principles – Audience has grown from directly effected / provincial to global– Critical role of existing groups and associations
Questions
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