Cenovus Energy has brought in a drilling rig to help fully isolate the leaking well at its Rush Lake 2 facility.
“This is a common operation in these circumstances and is not for production,” said Cenovus in a June 23 email to the Meridian Source.
Crews have installed clay berms around the site to contain fluids and prevent spread. Crews are also collecting the leaking fluids, described as “muddy, silty water,” onsite and transporting them to waste facilities.
“We continue to monitor nearby water bodies and there has been no impact,” said Cenovus.
Read more: VIDEOS: Cenovus responding to Rush Lake leak
The leak began May 9 at the thermal heavy oil site about 80 kilometres from Lloydminster. Crews injected water into the leaking well and built the berms to contain fluids. Plumes of water vapour were visible around the site during the early response and intermittent odours were noticeable.
On May 12, Cenovus confirmed “There are some intermittent odours” but said continuous air-quality monitoring was underway. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources also confirmed they were assisting with the response.
Flaring soon began to safely burn off the remaining gases. Ministry drones flew over the site regularly to track progress in addition to conducting air-quality testing.
By late May, Cenovus reported “no public health or safety impacts” while containment and monitoring continued.
On June 20, the company confirmed crews had stabilized the well release and isolated the leak. The company said a suspected casing failure underground caused the leak. Rush Lake 1 and 2 remain shut-in.
Cleanup and containment work will continue until the site is fully remediated. There is no word on cause or investigation at this point.
Read more: Cenovus reports rush lake “stabalized”
