PAYNTON — After months of foul smells, residents in the Paynton area can finally breathe easy.
Cenovus Energy has confirmed in a media release that the well that caused a steam release to surface at the Rush Lake 2 thermal oil facility is under control.
“With the well now under control, we continue to perform completion activities to fully isolate the well and are preparing for cleanup and remediation of the site. As of July 17, the vapour release that had produced odours in the region has been eliminated,” said the release.
During an open house Cenovus held in Paynton on July 10, it was suspected that the steam release was due to a well casing failure, bringing up muddy, silty water from the steam injection. Now with the well under control, their suspicions were correct and the company is undertaking a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the failure.
“We will continue to work with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources throughout the investigation and share the results with them. Cenovus is committed to continuous improvement, and what we learn from this incident investigation will assist us in further enhancing overall safety and performance at our thermal operations,” said the release.
Before the open house, senior manager Clayton Ulrich spoke to news outlets, admitting the public was not informed of the leak when it first broke on May 7. In the recent update, Cenovus says they “sincerely apologize for this” and will “continue to communicate with the people and communities to provide updates as new information becomes available.”
