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Amended Notice of Hearing
Proceeding ID 364
Imperial Oil Resources Limited
Aspen Project

NOTE: The initial notice of hearing for the Aspen Project was issued on July 27, 2018. One of the Water Act applications was omitted in error, and the description of the project required further clarification regarding the number of phases and water use. This notice provides the proper listing of all applications and number of phases for the project and clarifies the description of the project’s water use.

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) will hold a public hearing for Imperial Oil Resources Limited’s Aspen Project, an in situ bitumen recovery scheme. This notice sets out how to request to participate in the hearing. The hearing will be scheduled later or, if there are no participants, the AER may cancel the hearing and decide on the project without further notice. A complete list of the project applications is provided in the table below.

Description of the Project

Imperial has applied under the Oil Sands Conservation Act (OSCA), Oil and Gas Conservation Rules (OGCR), Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), and Public Lands Act to construct, operate, and reclaim the project; Imperial has also applied under the Water Act to divert water for the project.

The project would use solvent-assisted–steam-assisted gravity drainage to produce bitumen from the McMurray Formation. The complete project, which would be developed in two phases, would include central steam generation and bitumen processing plant facilities, connected to 50 well pads with 370 well pairs. At peak production, about 25 570 cubic metres per day (162 000 barrels per day) of bitumen would be produced. At this time, water diverted for the project for domestic and commercial use would come from three unnamed surface water bodies (up to 40 000 cubic metres per year [m3/yr]), three groundwater wells (up to 1 358 530 m3/yr), and seven borrow pits (up to 70 000 m3/yr).

The project would be located in Townships 93 and 94, Ranges 6 and 7, West of the 4th Meridian, about 45 kilometres (km) northeast of Fort McMurray and 20 km east of the hamlet of Fort McKay (see map).

Where can I find information about the applications and the hearing?

For a copy of the hearing materials, including the applications, contact

Imperial Oil Resources Limited
505 Quarry Park Blvd SE
Calgary, Alberta T2C 5N1
Attention: Sandy Campbell
Telephone: 587-476-4393
Fax: 587-476-1117
Email: @email

To view the materials in person or for information on AER procedures, contact

Tammy Turner, Hearing Coordinator
Alberta Energy Regulator
Suite 1000, 250 – 5 Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
Email: @email
Phone: 403-297-3232

How can I apply to participate in the hearing?

You must file a written request to participate, even if you have already filed a statement of concern with the AER.

Your request to participate must contain

  •  a copy of your statement of concern or an explanation why you did not file one;
  • a concise statement indicating
    • why and how you may be directly and adversely affected by the AER’s decision on the application, or
    • if you will not be directly and adversely affected by a decision on the application, explain
      • what the nature of your interest in the matter is and why you should be permitted to participate,
      • how your participation will materially assist the AER in deciding the matter that is the subject of the hearing,
      • how you have a tangible interest in the subject matter of the hearing,
      • how your participation will not unnecessarily delay the hearing, and
      • how you will not repeat or duplicate evidence presented by other parties;
  • the outcome of the application that you advocate;
  • the nature and scope of your intended participation;
  • your contact information;
  • if you are acting on behalf of a group or association of people, the nature of your membership in the group or association; and
  • your efforts, if any, to resolve issues associated with the proceeding directly with the applicant.

Send one copy of the request to Imperial Oil Resources Limited and one copy to the hearing coordinator. Submissions should be PDF documents with bookmarks, page numbers (with the first page in the document being numbered page one), and optical character recognition.

Filing deadlines

August 13, 2018 - Final date to file a request to participate.
August 20, 2018 - Final date for response from the applicant on any requests to participate.

Is this a public process?

Yes. Section 49 of the Rules of Practice requires that all documents and information filed for 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.Is this a public process?

If my request to participate is approved, can I apply to get reimbursed for hearing-related costs?

If you are participating in a hearing, you may be eligible to have some of your costs paid. Directive 031: REDA Energy Cost Claims explains how and when to apply.

How do I raise a question of constitutional law?

You must give notice according to section 12 of the Administrative Procedures and Jurisdiction Act and Schedule 2 of the Designation of Constitutional Decision Makers Regulation. In addition, you must include the following information:

  • the constitutional question you intend to raise
  • the legal argument you intend to make
  • the evidence you intend to rely on in support of your legal argument

What is outside of the AER’s jurisdiction?

Compensation for land use is not dealt with by the AER and should be referred to the Alberta Surface Rights Board.

Crown consultation with Alberta’s First Nations and Métis settlements and assessment of its adequacy are managed by the Aboriginal Consultation Office.

Legislation

Application No.

OGCR

1882385

OSCA

1782988

EPEA

001-00336673

Water Act

001-00346324, 001-00346325, 001-00386625, 001-00386341, 001-00386342

Public Lands Act

MSL160538, LOC160590, MSL170186, LOC170248, MSL170187, LOC170249

Issued at Calgary, Alberta, on July 30, 2018.

ALBERTA ENERGY REGULATOR