Cenovus Energy released results of a scientific study on the effects of CO2 injection, two weeks prior to the release of the final report by IPAC-CO2, which will be released in Weyburn on Dec. 12.
Cenovus Energy released results of a scientific study on the effects of CO2 injection, two weeks prior to the release of the final report by IPAC-CO2, which will be released in Weyburn on Dec. 12.
According to the findings of the third-party research conducted for Cenovus, the carbon dioxide (CO2) used by Cenovus for enhanced oil recovery in the Weyburn Field is not linked to the high levels of CO2 found on the neighbouring farm of Cam and Jane Kerr near Goodwater.
"These results provide complete assurance to landowners and the public that the CO2 we're injecting about 1.5 kilometres below the ground is staying put and that our Weyburn operation is safe," said Brad Small, Cenovus vice-president for oil and gas production in Saskathewan.
Cenovus operates the CO2 miscible flood project on behalf of 23 other partners, and made a commitment to the provincial ministry of Energy and Resources to evaluate whether CO2 in the soil and other reported issues at a nearby property were a result of its operations. Several third-party specialists were contracted to conduct a site assessment.
"Our findings indicate there is absolutely no way CO2 in the soil at the property in question originated from Cenovus' operation in Weyburn," said scientist Court Sandau, PhD, in analytical chemistry, and founder of ChemistryMatters and lead scientist for the site assessment.
"Using isotope dating, we can differentiate between 'young' and 'old' carbon samples. The CO2 Cenovus injects comes from coal deposits which were formed millions of years ago. Our findings assert that the CO2 present at the property was formed reently, and is attributed to natural soil respiration processes," said Sandau.
The findings confirm three things: 1. there is no presence of CO2 from Cenovus' Weyburn opration in either the soil or wetlands of the neighbouring property; 2. there are no detectable hydrocarbons present in the surface water at the property; and 3. there are no integrity issues with the Cenovus-operated wells an infrastructure located on the property.
Meantime, these results are being studied by Ecojustice, which have been working with Cam and Jane Kerr, and they are awaiting the results of the independent study carried out by the International Performance Assessment Centre for the Geologic Storage of CO2, or IPAC-CO2, which brought in scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, and from the U of R.
Their final report on the Kerr property will be released on Dec. 12 at a public meeting to be held in Weyburn at the Weyburn Credit Union Community Room, starting at 7 p.m.
"The Kerrs look forward to seeing the results of the independent investigation to determine the cause of the unusual phenomena they have observed on their property," said Barry Robinson, the Ecojustice staff lawyer.
"After years of requesting an in-depth investigation on their property, the Kerrs are glad to see that Cenovus has finally conducted an investigation of the potential impacts carbon capture and storage may have on their property," he added noting they asked for a proper investigation from Cenovus and from Energy and Resources for the last six years before these two investigations were done.
For Cenovus' part, they insisted they have always treated any concerns about their operations seriously.
"We always take landowner concerns about our operations seriously, and we felt it was important to commission this additional study to address this concern. We are proud of the work that our Weyburn team has done, and their efforts to ensure we are a good neighbour. We look forward to being a member of that community for many years to come," said Small.
One of the complaints the Kerrs made was noting changes in the surface water and well water on their property at Goodwater in 2004. They noted bubbling and foaming water, unusual algae growth in ponds, and animal carcasses found strewn around the ponds.
According to Sandau, who looked into this aspect of their complaints, "We did not detect any hydrocarbons when conducting surface water sampling. Cyanobacteria and phytoplankton were detected, which are common to relatively stagnant water bodies in southern Saskatchewan and are known to cause a 'sheen' on water surfaces, similar to what was initially reported on the water body."
Cenovus has injected carbon dioxide in the Weyburn field since 2000. When CO2 contacts oil at high pressure, it makes the oil thinner and causes it to swell, making it easier for the oil to flow to producing wells. The CO2 that is pumped out with the oil is then recycled.
According to Cenovus, there are currently more than 17 million tonnes of CO2 stored at the Weyburn site. Scientists from 30 countries working under the International Energy Agency GHG Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage research project have been studying the project for over a decade. The Weyburn project is the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) storage project in the world.
