I have a Return to Written Question 28-17(5), asked by Mr. Yakeleya on March 11, 2015, regarding comparison of impact of hydraulic fracturing and other developments.
Mr. Yakeleya asked the following questions:
1. What is/are the cleanest burning fossil fuel(s) for
heating use and for generating electricity?
The cleanest burning fossil or carbon-based fuel is natural gas, which is primarily composed of methane (CH
4
).
A general rule of thumb is that the smaller the molecule, the cleaner burning it is. Of all fossil fuel molecules, methane is the smallest.
The average emission rates (lbs/MWh) from natural gas-fired generation are 1.135 lbs/MWh of carbon dioxide, 0.1 lbs/MWh of sulfur dioxide, and 1.7 lbs/MWh of nitrogen oxides. Compared to the average air emissions from coal-fired generation, natural gas produces half as much carbon dioxide, less than a third as much nitrogen oxides, and 1 percent as much sulfur oxides at the power plant.
2. Please provide the city of Yellowknife’s annual
energy consumption, with a breakdown of each source of energy.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document entitled “City of Yellowknife Energy Use (Gigajoules).”
3. Please describe a typical hydraulic fracturing
operation, including how many times a well is “fracked.”
Step 1 – Drilling:
Once a drilling location is established, the drilling can begin. A drill bit is then mounted on the end of a drill pipe. As the bit continues to grind its way down, air is pumped down the pipe to flush rock cuttings from the hole and lift them to the surface. The hole is drilled to just underneath the first amount of fresh water underneath the surface. Then the drill pipe and bit are removed. Next, surface casing is inserted into the hole to isolate the fresh water zone. It also serves as a foundation for the blowout preventer, a safety device that connects the rig to the wellbore. Then cement is pumped through the casing and out through the opening of the shoe at the bottom of the casing.
The cement is then forced up between the casing and the hole, sealing off the wellbore from the fresh water. The cementing process prevents any contamination of the fresh water aquifers. The pipe and bit are lowered back down the hole to drill through the plug and the cement and continue the vertical section of the well to approximately 500 feet above the planned horizontal leg. This depth is called the kick-off point, where the curve will begin so that the horizontal section can be drilled.
Step 2 – Perforating the Casing:
First a perforating gun is lowered into a targeted position within the horizontal portion of the well. Then an electrical current is sent down the well to set off a small explosive charge that perforates the well casing with tiny holes and out a short, controlled distance into the shale formation. The holes created by the “perf” gun serve two purposes: It provides access for the hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) to enter the formation and subsequently allows natural gas to enter the wellbore.
Step 3 – Shale Fracturing:
The fracturing of a well creates a complex network of cracks in the shale formation. This is achieved by pumping water, sand and chemicals down the wellbore under high pressure. After these cracks are created, the sand will remain in the formation, propping open the shale to create a pathway for the gas to enter the wellbore and flow up the well.
Step 4 – Repeat in Stages:
During each stage, monitoring is done to adjust and record all of the stage parameters to maximize the natural gas or oil production from the shale. After each stage is completed, a plug will be set and new perforations created to direct the HFF to the next stage. By segmenting the well in stages, a greater amount of gas is produced from the lateral length of the well.
Step 5 – HFF Removal:
After hydraulic fracturing is completed, all of the plugs placed between hydraulic fracturing stages are drilled out to remove the restrictions in the wellbore. The completed well is then opened up to remove the HFF so that natural gas can be produced. The HFF that is recovered from each well is either treated and reused or transported to a certified storage facility.
Step 6 – Flaring:
Toward the end of the HFF removal process, gas will start to travel up the well along with the HFF. Since the amount of gas increases as the water decreases, a flare is commonly set up.
Step 7 – Harvesting the Natural Gas:
After removing the HFF from the formation, the sand will remain in the shale to provide a pathway for the gas to flow into the wellbore to the surface.
Once at the surface, the gas is processed and delivered.
There is no set correlation between how many times a well may be fractured and its decline rate. For each well, a decision has to be made based on the specific geology. It is not uncommon for any given horizontally drilled well to undergo 60 to 150 fracture treatments.
4. Please provide a table or graph showing the
annual water use of:
a) a typical hydraulic fracturing operation:
ConocoPhillips was allowed to draw water from nine different surface water sources; however, only five sources were used. The total water use of the project was 105,127 cubic metres, which included water for an overland ice road, which was the largest water use, ice pads for the two wells drilled, water for the drilling operation and water for the hydraulic fracturing treatment of the two wells. The flowback fluids (produced water) totalled to 5,673.2 cubic metres. This water was hauled to treatment plants in British Columbia and Alberta.
b) Imperial Oil’s facilities in Norman Wells:
According to the water licence granted by the Sahtu Land and Water Board (SLWB) to Imperial Oil Inc. for its Norman Wells Proven Area, the operator is not allowed to exceed the total allowable water withdrawal limit of 3.500 million cubic metres per year and must not exceed the withdrawal rate of 16,000 cubic metres per day.
The annual water withdrawal rates for Imperial Oil’s Norman Wells Project from the Mackenzie River can be found in Imperial Oil’s annual water licence reports which are available on the SLWB’s public registry.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document entitled “Annual Water Withdrawal Rates for Imperial Oil Norman Wells Project.”
c) The City of Yellowknife:
The City of Yellowknife’s water licence granted by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board (MVLWB) allows for the use of up to 575,000 cubic metres of water per month. The City of Yellowknife must not exceed the total allowable annual water withdrawal limit of 3.600 million cubic metres.
The annual water withdrawal rates for the City of Yellowknife from the Yellowknife River can be found in the City of Yellowknife’s annual water licence reports, which are available on the MVLWB’s public registry.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document entitled “Annual Water Withdrawal Rates for the City of Yellowknife.”
d) The Diavik Diamond Mine:
Diavik Diamond Mine’s (DDM) water licence granted by the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board (WLWB) applies a phased approach to water withdrawal. Between the periods of November 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009, DDM was authorized to withdraw 1.750 million cubic metres of water annually.
Following January 1, 2010, DDM is authorized to withdraw up to 1.280 million cubic metres of water annually. In regards to the dewatering of the A21 pool water, DDM is authorized to withdraw up to 11.400 million cubic metres during this process. During in-lake dredging activities, DDM is allowed to withdraw up to 3.500 million cubic metres.
The annual water withdrawal rates for DDM from Lac du Gras can be found in Diavik’s annual water licence reports which are available on the WLWB’s public registry. The dike at A21 has not been constructed yet, and therefore there isn’t any water volume data reported.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a document entitled “Annual Water Withdrawal Rates for Diavik Diamond Mine.”
5. What is the Department of Industry, Tourism
and Investment doing to educate NWT residents about the technology used in hydraulic fracturing?
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers provided an overview of hydraulic fracturing practices and technology on a tour it participated in with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) in the Gwich’in communities of Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Aklavik and Inuvik in August 2014. ITI is also funding the Gwich’in Tribal Council to complete a project through the Aboriginal Capacity Building Fund to gather information on public perceptions and questions related to hydraulic fracturing in Gwich’in communities, with results expected by the end of May 2015.
The results can be used to identify public information and knowledge needs related to hydraulic fracturing.
Furthermore, ITI intends to build community awareness of hydraulic fracturing during community public engagement on the draft NWT Hydraulic Fracturing Filing Regulations from April to June 2015. ITI also intends to include hydraulic fracturing information in future oil and gas education and outreach activities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.