Canadian Natural GasNatural Gas and Land-Use

Natural Gas and Land-Use

n The Canadian natural gas industry works to minimize its land-use footprint through careful planning and responsible development.

n Industry best practices call for land-use practices that integrate environmental, low-impact techniques, species conservation and biodiversity considerations in the planning and development of Canada’s natural gas resources.

n Canada’s thorough and longstanding regulatory system for energy development, combined with industry best practices, ensure that land is returned to its original state after use.

n Advancements in resource finding and extraction technology help reduce the natural gas industry’s environmental footprint on the land, especially for the production of Canada’s abundant supply of unconventional natural gas.

companies in Canada continue to demonstrate a high degree of environmental protection“

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Canadian natural gas is found deep beneath the earth’s surface. It is called a sub-surface resource and requires surface access for exploration and production. From pre-planning to production through to final reclamation, the natural gas industry continues to find solutions to reduce impacts that natural gas operations may have on the land.

Although exploration and production of natural gas does come with an environmental footprint, each stage of the natural gas value chain in Canada is strictly regulated and managed to minimize any impact that does occur. All aspects of exploration, recovery, processing and transportation are subject to rigorous regulatory review and approval processes.

Industry’s awareness and understanding of how natural gas activities can affect the land has helped create new and innovative approaches and practices to help minimize this footprint. Most importantly, companies in Canada continue to demonstrate a high degree of environmental protection and a drive to implement better land-use practices.

Planning Stage When a prospective area for natural gas exploration and production has been identified, a company acquires mineral rights and begins examining surface restrictions on the land, such as those posed by farming activity, urban developments, or wildlife areas. With a broad understanding of the ecology of the land and how it is being used, and in compliance with provincial and federal regulations, a company can develop strategies to minimize the environmental footprint.

Examining the land with a view to minimizing the environmental footprint encourages and coordinates planning with other natural gas companies or other resource industries, such as the forestry industry. Coordinating surface development helps to reduce project-specific impacts by integrating infrastructure planning and siting for more efficient use of the land in a given area. Such planning may allow several companies to access rights for different subsurface geological intervals

within the same surface land base; reduce the number of roads or trails that need to be built; or reduce the amount of new environmental footprint by re-developing areas such as seismic lines where industry activity has already occurred. For example, where the forest industry is harvesting trees in an area where an oil and gas company also seeks to clear land to develop a well pad, the two land-users can work together to reduce the amount of clearing that is required.

Typical planning cycle for Coalbed methane drilling

There are many examples of this cross-industry coordination throughout British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. For example, the Government of Alberta has developed the Integrated Land Management (ILM) Program, which is a multi-sector approach to strategic planning that aims to reduce land-use disturbance and foster an ethic of stewardship among land-users.

Another important example of where the natural gas industry works with others to minimize our impact on the land is through the Alberta Caribou Committee (ACC). Industry works with government and the academic community to help support efforts to sustain Woodland caribou

Planning>500 days

Drilling1/2 day

Completion30 days

Pipelines1 day

Natural Gas Production

EnCana Corporationwww.encana.com

Clearwater Project Development18 Month Lead Time

Drilling_ day

Com pletions30 days

Pipelines1 day

Extensive planning and communication w ith stakeholders is required to minimize impact

18 months18 months of planning before drilling begins

Planning>500 days

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populations while maintaining opportunities for industrial activities in northern Alberta. The ACC has been integral in funding research that encourages innovative practices that endeavors to conserve caribou populations.

Additionally, natural gas companies are also changing from a well-by-well approach to a project- or area-based planning approach. By working in this way, companies improve operational efficiency and streamline industrial activities in an area. An example of companies working together to manage development is the Horn River Basin Producers Group. Eleven oil and gas companies currently developing in the Horn River Basin in British Columbia have come together to ensure that this area is responsibly developed, and that cumulative impacts on the land are minimized. The group works together to coordinate access and infrastructure development, to collaborate on research and to share information.

Raw natural gas is found deep beneath the surface of the land in a variety of geological formations. These gas-bearing rock formations can be found in many regions of Canada. Currently, onshore commercial production of natural gas is clustered in western Canada, with approximately 76% occurring in Alberta and 18% in British Columbia.

The production of natural gas begins with the discovery phase, when geologists analyze the geology of an

During seismic surveys, images of natural gas reservoirs are produced by capturing returning sound waves that reflect off the surrounding subsurface

area by mapping the layers of underground rocks to identify where natural gas-bearing formations exist. Geologists work with geophysicists to

conduct seismic surveys that allow for a more precise analysis of the subsurface geology.

rock layers. The sound waves are induced on the surface through a small charge or seismic vibrator. These seismic surveys are carefully planned

and executed to minimize the impact on the land. Special attention is paid to the impact on wildlife habitat, and natural gas companies work with

Exploration Stage

How Seismic Works

Laying the Geophones

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government to adhere to all wildlife policies and procedures set out to minimize any effects on wildlife, or their habitat.

Technological advances in seismic survey operations allow industry to explore the subsurface of the land for natural gas reserves while minimizing the environmental footprint. Seismic survey programs have moved from two-dimensional to three-dimensional imaging, which allows natural gas companies to obtain more comprehensive data for reservoirs over a larger area. This more efficient methodology for collecting data also lessens the impact exploration operations have on the land. In addition, the use of low-impact seismic technologies reduces the width of seismic lines, some of which are so narrow it is difficult to see them on the ground. In areas where wildlife is a concern, seismic lines can meander to help to reduce the line of sight, and accessibility along seismic right-of-ways. Natural gas companies operating in environmentally sensitive or remote areas often use helicopters to transport crews and equipment so that new access roads do not have to be built.

The natural gas industry regularly adopts new technologies and innovative production techniques to optimize natural gas development. Industry’s use of advanced production technologies means that wells are drilled more efficiently with less impact on the land. For example, today’s drill rigs create less waste, and are smaller and can be moved more easily to minimize land disturbance.

Production Stage

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Canada’s natural gas industry is a leader in the use of directional and horizontal drilling techniques. Up until the mid-1990s, natural gas wells were typically drilled vertically to produce gas from reservoirs. To extract gas from one area required multiple wells to be created. With directional and horizontal drilling, natural gas companies are able to reach gas reservoirs at greater distances from the extraction site by drilling horizontally and at angles rather than drilling straight down. Directional and horizontal drilling can be used to target natural gas deep below sensitive surface environments from an adjacent area without impacts on the surface ecology or habitat. Pad drilling—drilling multiple wellbores from a single pad location—also helps to reduce environmental footprint because fewer well pads, roads, pipelines and surface facilities need to be built. Both of these drilling techniques allow industry to reduce the size of surface disturbance and reduce the environmental impact on the land.

Industry has also taken steps to manage natural gas wells that are abandoned by companies that have gone out of business. Liability for oil and gas sites that have been “orphaned” by their operators is addressed through the Alberta Orphan Well Association (OWA). OWA, funded entirely by the oil and gas industry, has been set up to ensure that the risks associated with orphaned well sites are managed responsibly, and that proper reclamation of all wells takes place in Alberta. A similar program exists in Saskatchewan and another initiative is underway in British Columbia.

During the planning stage, pipeline companies take into consideration the ecology of the area, including soil, vegetation, water, fish and wildlife resources, and archaeological or historical interests. All operational activities are designed to prevent and minimize

environmental impacts on the land. Companies establish early and ongoing communication with stakeholders such as landowners, regulatory authorities and conservation, and reclamation inspectors.

Before construction, pipeline companies conduct

environmental assessments to identify potential issues, such as possible impacts on the local ecology. The pre-construction phase involves selecting a pipeline corridor, or “right-of-way,” to accommodate pipe diameter and associated construction activities. Typical right-of-way widths are 15 to

Transmission Planning

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18 metres. Larger pipeline corridors can be up to 45 metres wide. Pipeline planners conduct pre-installation surveys to identify best routes given terrain conditions and local ecology. Two ways the environmental impact can be decreased are by limiting right-of-way width and line of sight.

When considering the best route for a pipeline, planners try to avoid environmentally sensitive areas such as those containing erodible soils, unstable slopes, water bodies, wetlands, and streams; areas likely to have rare plant or animal species; areas of importance to wildlife such as breeding grounds, nesting areas or winter ranges; and areas designated as having regional, provincial or national importance. Where avoidance is not practical, planners develop measures to mitigate environmental impacts.

Construction activities are designed and carried out to minimize environmental impacts such as erosion of the land and disturbances to the forest ecosystem. During construction, pipelines are typically placed in trenches in the soil at a depth of 0.6 metres. When clearing the land for trenches, soil loss can be

reduced by using appropriate equipment and procedures. For example, pipeline builders take measures to restrict tree and shrub clearing to the area of the trench and clear erodible areas such as slopes by hand.

In order for there to be proper reclamation of the land after construction, special attention is given during the construction phase to conserving topsoil. Soil inventories are conducted and soil is selectively salvaged and stored to guide future replacement. When digging trenches, subsoil and topsoil are removed in layers to conserve the topsoil. Excessive soil

handling and over-stripping is avoided, and stored soil materials are protected to prevent loss and degradation.

At water crossings along the pipeline system, techniques and measures are implemented to ensure the environmental impact on the ecosystem is minimized. For example, construction is scheduled to avoid periods of high biological sensitivity, such as spawning periods when large numbers of fish are concentrated in relatively small areas.

Pipeline Construction

Pipeline Construction

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After the pipeline is built and the trench is covered by soil, right-of-ways are re-contoured to minimize soil erosion, topsoil is replaced and surface and subsurface drainage is restored to conform to the adjacent drainage system. Also, erosion controls may be installed on deep slopes.

Once soil replacement is completed, companies ensure the establishment and growth of plant species compatible with the intended land capability and land-use.

During the operation of pipelines, the integrity and reclamation of the right-of-way is maintained from construction to final abandonment. Maintenance programs such as vegetation control programs and pipeline maintenance surveys are implemented to maintain the quality of land reclamation.

Once a pipeline is retired, usually after many decades, reclamation plans and standards suited to the specific location are used to ensure land use is returned and any environmental effects are mitigated.

The natural gas industry is continually assessing its land-use practices and adopting new technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its work. Industry is always moving toward new ways of exploring for natural gas that lessens the environmental footprint on the land.

Pipeline Reclamation

Re-contoured and Seeded Pipeline

Three Months After Pipeline Construction

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© 2011 Canadian Natural Gas.

Canadian Natural Gas is a made-in-Canada advocacy project sponsored by the following associations:

Canadian Energy Pipeline AssociationAssociation canadienne de pipelines d’énergie