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LLB eyed for oil expansion

Lac La Biche County could soon be seeing more oil projects – and the revenue that comes with them – if regulators approve the new in situ projects. The Canadian Natural Resource Ltd.

Lac La Biche County could soon be seeing more oil projects – and the revenue that comes with them – if regulators approve the new in situ projects.

The Canadian Natural Resource Ltd. (CNRL) Grouse in situ project is located 75 kilometres northeast of the Hamlet of Lac La Biche and 47 kilometres southwest of Conklin. Pending ap­proval, construction could start as early as 2014 with full operation starting in 2017.

Grouse is 23 kilometres west of CNRL’s Kirby expansion in situ project in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which is north of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. The Kirby expansion is projected to be a $1.2 billion project capable of producing 45,000 barrels of crude daily. A CNRL representative, who requested to only be identified as a spokesperson, told the Post the developments would be a boon for Lac La Biche financially.

“It is likely these projects will produce many millions of dollars of economic activity for Lac La Biche County on an annual basis through construction and then ongoing for the 20-plus year operational lifespan of each project,” the spokesperson said.

“Local suppliers and local residents will have numerous opportunities for involvement.”

However, environmental groups are saying that in situ – or Steam Assisted Gravity Drain­age is a process where superheated steam loosens bitumen deposits deep beneath the surface – is damaging and disruptive to the planet as well as local communities.

Despite being less visually upsetting than open-pit mining, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Melina La­boucan-Massimo said in situ actually produces more greenhouses gases than other extraction methods.

“The issue with in situ is it takes more water, land, and energy for development,” she said. “Because it uses four times more natural gas than mining, it releases more greenhouse gases.”

She added that the cut-lines required for roads, piping, and power lines make in situ projects more environmentally damaging as they fragment the environment.

“The Beaver Lake Cree Nation went to court to protect the threatened woodland caribou,” Laboucan-Massimo said. “Research has found they are becoming extinct in the region because of habitual habitat disturbance from tar sands development.”

The CNRL spokesperson said the cut-lines for Grouse and Kirby will be developed to have the least possible impact on the boreal forest.

“All seismic lines will be cut using low impact seismic techniques,” he said. “Wandering lines and avoidance cutting will be used to reduce new access, line-of-sight, and timber damage.”

Another criticism of in situ developments is water use: although CNRL asserts that 90 per cent of water used will be recycled, the remaining wastewater will be injected under layers of shale rock. That’s a solution that has potential to pollute groundwater, Laboucan-Massimo said.

Approval of the Grouse and Kirby expansion projects will depend on whether or not they pass an Environmental Im­pact Assessment, the CNRL spokesperson said, adding if the projects are deemed to be in the public interest, then ap­provals will follow.

Alberta Government statistics say 80 per cent of the province’s oil deposits are accessible only through in situ. As of August 2010, there were 85 in situ projects in Alberta.




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