Notice of Application
Application No. 1762708
Athabasca Oil Corporation
Athabasca Oil Sands Area
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has received Application No. 1762708 from the Athabasca Oil Corporation (AOC) for approval of the proposed Hangingstone project expansion under section 13 of the Oil Sands Conservation Act. The AER is reviewing the application together with Water Act File No. 00316166, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) Application No. 002-289664, and the associated environmental impact assessment (EIA).
Description of the ProjectThe AOC has applied to construct, operate, and reclaim an expansion to its existing Hangingstone project (HS1), which is an in situ oil sands project located about 20 kilometres southwest of Fort McMurray in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The oil sands leases are in Townships 85 to 88, Ranges 9 to 13, West of the 4th Meridian. The Hangingstone expansion would use steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology to recover bitumen from the McMurray Formation. The AOC currently has regulatory approval to construct, operate, and reclaim the HS1, which has a bitumen production capacity of 1908 cubic metres per day (m3/d) (12 000 barrels per day [bbl/d]).
The Hangingstone project expansion would consist of two additional phases to the existing project: Hangingstone 2 (HS2) and Hangingstone 3 (HS3). The total bitumen production capacity of HS1, HS2, and HS3 would be 13 038 m3/day (82 000 bbl/d), an incremental increase in production capacity of 11 130 m3/d (70 000 bbl/d). Pending regulatory approval, HS2 and HS3 construction is expected to start in 2015, with initial production expected to begin in 2017. HS2 and HS3 would include a central processing facility, thermal injection wells, production wells, disposal wells, dewatering facilities, utilities, and associated infrastructure.
The AOC has prepared and submitted the following documents:
For a copy of the above application, contact
Athabasca Oil Corporation
Bow Valley Square
Suite 2000
250 – 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
Attention: Sheryll Tavener
Telephone: 403-237-8227
Fax: 403-264-4640
E-mail: stavener@atha.com
To view the application, EIA, and supporting documents, contact
AER Information Management Branch Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4 Telephone: 1-855-297-8311 (toll free; option 2) E-mail: infoservices@aer.ca Viewing hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
Alberta Government Library Great West Life Building 6th Floor, 9920 – 108 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4 Telephone: 780-427-5828 (toll free: 780-310-0000) |
AER Fort McMurray Regional Office |
For your statement of concern to be considered, it must be filed before 4:00 p.m. on May 30, 2014.
Send one copy of your statement of concern to the AOC at the name and address above and one copy to
Authorizations Review and Coordination Team
Alberta Energy Regulator
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
E-mail: ARCTeam@aer.ca
For your submission to be considered a valid statement of concern, it must include
Section 49 of the Alberta Energy Regulator Rules of Practice (Rules of Practice) requires that all documents and information filed in a proceeding be placed on the public record. If you file a submission, you must not include any personal information that you do not want to appear on or are not authorized to put on the public record. Section 49(2) of the Rules of Practice states how to apply to the AER for an order to keep information confidential.
Questions of Constitutional LawIn addition to giving notice according to section 12 of the Administrative Procedures and Jurisdiction Act and schedule 2 of the Designation of Constitutional Decision Makers Regulation, you must include the following information in your submission if you intend to raise a question of constitutional law:
Under section 21 of the Responsible Energy Development Act, the AER does not have jurisdiction to assess the adequacy of Crown consultation associated with the rights of aboriginal peoples as recognized and affirmed under the Constitution Act.
For information on AER procedures, contact the authorization specialist, Ken Hale, by phone at 403-297-8405 or by e-mail to Ken.Hale@aer.ca.
Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on April 30, 2014.
ALBERTA ENERGY REGULATOR
Patricia M. Johnston, Q.C., General Counsel