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Husky continues monitoring work following leak of water used for oil production

Jul 20, 2018 | 2:40 PM

Husky Energy Inc. continued its assessment work Friday after reporting water used for oil production leaked into the ground and nearby river Wednesday, near Turtleford.

According to an email from Husky spokesperson Kim Guttormson, on July 18 Husky detected a produced-water release from a line that runs between a water-handling facility and a disposal well in a rural area west of Turtleford.

The release took place about 500 metres from Englishman River, and some “produced water – salt water that has undergone treatment – entered the river.”

She said results from water sampling have indicated no detection of hydrocarbons in the river, and environmental testing and monitoring continues.

Guttormson said the release has been “isolated” and workers have taken preventative measures and are making efforts to remove it.

“We are continuing to work closely with regulators,” she said.

Guttormson said currently workers are removing affected soil.

“We don’t have an estimate at this point of how long that will take,” she said. “Our environmental testing and monitoring is ongoing.”

The province said in an email Friday that the Ministry of Energy and Resources and the Ministry of Environment were notified on Wednesday of the release of the treated water from a water pipeline owned by Husky Energy in a field west of Turtleford.

No hydrocarbons found

The province confirmed no hydrocarbons were detected in the release.  

In addition, the province said that “to date, there is no physical, odour or lab testing indication of hydrocarbons in the Englishman River and water testing continues to be underway.”

The province added Husky has activated its spill-response plan and is currently involved in a clean-up operation. The Ministry of Energy and Resources is on- site “overseeing clean-up operations.”

Maidstone-area case back in September

Meanwhile, for a separate matter, Husky Energy is still in court dealing with charges connected to the July 2016 oil spill near Maidstone that resulted in 225,000 litres of oil spilling from a crack in a section of pipe, with about  40 per cent of that amount entering the North Saskatchewan River. Husky continued its cleanup efforts into the summer of 2017. Husky will be back in court in Lloydminster on Sept. 13.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW