The alleged infractions under the Water Act date back to 2008 and 2009 and are related to winter drilling activities, not to the company’s operation of the Leismer Demonstration Plant which started producing first oil in January 2011.
During winter drilling, water is mainly used to build ice roads for transportation of equipment in the field. Alberta Environment is a regulatory body that regulates the sourcing and use of water in these activities.
The company takes these charges very seriously and has cooperated with Alberta Environment in its investigation and will continue to do so. Statoil Canada’s first court appearance is set for 6 April in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada