Back to Basics Special Interest Group:
Orphan Well Association: Dealing with Oil and Gas Orphans in Alberta
Date: Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Speaker: Lars De Pauw, Executive Director Orphan Well Association
Location: Petroleum Club
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Cost: $45 SPE Members, $55 Non-members, $15 Students
Abstract:
This presentation will describe the Orphan Well Association (OWA) and how it manages abandonment and reclamation liabilities in Alberta relating to defunct operators. It will describe the current and historical OWA funding and expenditures and the recent growth in orphan inventory. In the presentation, we will look at how the OWA is managing with the new influx of orphan properties by balancing competing priorities and leveraging the increase in Orphans to be more efficient.
New challenges facing the OWA in 2018 which were not envisioned when our organization was established will be discussed. This will include challenges such as the Redwater decision, the influx of Orphans and the loan from the Government of Alberta.
Speaker Bio:
Lars De Pauw, has been involved in assessing and managing environmental liabilities in the oil and gas sector nearly twenty years. His current focus is on leading a diverse group of professionals in handling the recent influx of properties being designated as orphans in Alberta as a result of the current downturn in the oil and gas industry. A large portion of his time is dedicated to managing this increase as well as a substantial increase in funding including a provincial loan that will be repaid by the oil and gas industry.
Prior to joining the Orphan Well Association, Lars worked in the environmental consulting field, the oil and gas service sector and with a large producer. His work in all three sectors focused on the abandonment and reclamation of oil and gas assets including estimating liabilities.
This luncheon is sponsored by Blue Spark Energy. Blue Spark is the developer of WASP® technology, which delivers high-power hydraulic pulses exactly where they are needed, improving connectivity between the well bore and reservoir, quickly, safely and efficiently. With successful stimulation in more than 300 oil wells since 2011, Blue Spark’s flagship WASP technology has earned them the “New Technological Development of the Year” for 2015, an honor that recognizes companies who provide technologies to the oil and gas to reduce costs, streamline operations, reducing environmental impact and improve health and safety standards.
