Water injection

[grassfarmer]

Was at a meeting last night about a proposed well development by an oil company to suck water out of our shallow aquafer at a rate of 30,000 gallons a day (i think that's the figure)to pump down oil wells. Plenty of fancy graphs and diagrams showing the predicted production and how it would spring back as soon as they quit pumping water out. Bottom line that's enough clean drinking water to maintain 2000 cow/calf pairs being pulled out and pumped down an oil well where it is essentially gone from the hydrological cycle forever. It's OK though the company assures us that if there is any concern the proposal won't proceed as the priority is domestic use first, then agricultural use then oil production use.... hmm something doesn't ring true about that story.

[GreenValley]

there is meeting last night at Last West Hall, saying sucking about 200,000 gallons per day from groundwater level zone that is about 100 feet down from ground level. And they going planning installatin pipeline to transport water to other well sites and inject water down to bring oil up as well. Read Calgary Hearlds paper today regards of Powder River Basin at Wyoming and Montana, they suck water salty water out to release gas out, and farmer water well turn out dry, sell cattles cuz no water or drink cattle with salty water either way. Will in Alberta be similar cases in Wyoming and Montana, hope not. We need action to stop. what next step is what Alberta Eniverment can do for us.

[cowman]

Water injection is, in my opinion, about the dumbest thing around! It does increase production...in the short term but just about always waters the well out way before it should be! Usually done to "cook the books" so the company can sell out to some sucker or increase their share price...and unload them at a big profit!
Again, in my opinion, the EUB should be ashamed to allow this practice by greedy carpetbaggers!

[kpb]

how do you guys feel about the plan to divert water via pipeline from the Red Deer River to service Calgary area businesses?

kpb

[coppertop]

If I am not mistaken water allocation in the south has been either reduced or frozen at current levels due to availablility of water. There has been quite an uproar about the proposal to divert water from the Red Deer River to service communities east of Red Deer, I am all for business but do feel that water should be used first for human consumption then secondly for food production vs new business, particularly the development that is planned at Balzac.

[kpb]

coppertop, do you have any thoughts on the chances of that race track-hotel complex actually ever being constructed at Balzac? Somebody told me the other day that the financing was not in place for that project, nothing has been actually built and that it was unlikely it would ever go ahead.

kpb

[larryle]

Glencoe has a plant at Prentice and Joffre that takes carbondioxide from the stacks,compresses it to a liquid and then injects it in place of water injection.They thought it was going to be the way to go?

[GreenValley]

Someone gave me ph number for Alta Environment say they are suppose to be good one. They has 1 case happen in north of Rimbey and won case and shut down water injection. Other case in Crestmere, farmers join together to shut water injection down and won. So I will touch that guy and see what happen.

[coppertop]

kpb, I am not aware of what stage the development is currently. If diverting water is a requirement, it will take some doing to get the approvals from AB. Environment, because anyone who feels they are adversely affected by the diversion can appeal to the Environmental Appeal Board. If the development hasn't been given the green light by the MD of Rockyview, there will be a whole whack of hoops to go through, and if and when the project does receive an approval, that too can be appealed to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board. Isn't a veterinary college or some sort of vet facility part of the proposal ? It is certainly a huge undertaking which will also include a lot of infrastructure requirements paid for by the developer so hopefully they have deep pockets.

[grassfarmer]

GreenValley, I checked the information again on that well proposal and it is for 300,000 gallons a day! This is to be for 5 years then they hope to reuse some of the water they have pumped down the oil wells so usage should drop. I spoke to a neighbour who has been aware of, and fighting this proposal, for close to 5 years. He reckons we don't have a hope in hell of stopping it. It is insanity pumping that much good water down out of the hydrological cycle for ever in a Province that really doesn't have that much surplus water.

[farmers_son]

Actually, there is a way we can stop this kind of thing happening. It is called an election and a change of government. I wish it were not so but this government places agriculture behind oil and gas. As such and at present, to quote Grassfarmer's neighbour, we do not have a hope in hell of stopping our fresh water being diverted to oil wells.

I live in a dryer part of the province and there are huge opportunties for irrigation here but the province will not let us do it. 300,000 gallons a day would do wonders for this area, instead it goes to the energy sector. And irrigation water stays in the hydrological cycle, injection water does not.

[cowman]

It is a sad fact of life that they continue with this stupid water injection thing? In the big picture it actually shortens the production.
The CO2 thing works very well and is the wave of the future.
Personally I believe the water diversion to Eastern Alberta from the Red Deer river is a good thing? The fact is the Red Deer river is the last tributary on the South Saskatchewan that has any kind of surplus? The Bow and Oldman are all spoken for!
I am a firm believer that the "Alberta Advantage" has to extend to all areas of Alberta...not just the Calgary-Edmonton corrider! How does eastern Alberta grow and prosper without an adequate water supply?

[coppertop]

the water resources in Alberta look better all the time to our neighbours in the south....as the saying goes, Whiskey is for drinking and water for fighting over. If any of you watched the televised leadership debate this past week, you will have heard the reporter from the Calgary Herald take a shot at the agricultural industry for wasting water. The only candidate that disputed that fact and pointed out that the agriculture industry that uses 4% of the water, grows 20% of the crops, was Ed Stelmach. The rest of the candidates were content to allow the comment to go unchallenged....

[cowman]

uh...actually I think most studies show irrigation is a real dog when all costs are read in? The benifit of water diversion is almost always industry and civil municipality use?
Irrigation is usually nothing more than a total ripoff for the taxpayer? Correct me if I am wrong?

[coppertop]

It depends what you would like to see take place in southern and south east Alberta cowman. I have been on several tours of municipalities in the south and seen first hand by way of test plots etc., that the areas that use irrigation would be a barren wasteland. Irrigation is not cheap for those using it, although I am sure that all taxpayers have been responsible for the irrigation infrastructure. The sugar beet industry alone drives the economy in some urban centres in the south, and that industry relies on irrigation.