Husky Moose Mountain Pipeline: a Case Study of Planning, Environmental Assessment & Construction

2000 international Pipeline Conference — Volume 1 AS ME 2000 IPC2000-140 Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IPC/proceedings-pdf/IPC2000/40245/V001T03A002/2507307/v001t03a002-ipc2000-140.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 HUSKY MOOSE MOUNTAIN PIPELINE: A CASE STUDY OF PLANNING, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT & CONSTRUCTION Carol J. Engstrom Husky Oil Operations Limited Guy M. Goulet Western Ecological Systems Management Consulting Inc. ABSTRACT In 1998, Husky Oil Operations Limited and its partner formerly INTRODUCTION & HISTORY 2 Rigel Oil, (purchased by Talisman Energy in 1999), constructed a Kananaskis' Country encompasses an area of over 4160 km 26.2 km pipeline in Kananaskis Country to transport sour oil, solution located southwest of Calgary. It is an area of high peaks, flowing gas and produced water from Pad #3 on Cox Hill to the Shell Oil streams, and home to many important mammals and fish, as well as a Jumping Pound Gas Plant for processing. Kananaskis Country is a heavily used recreation area. People from all over Alberta and 4160 km2 "Planning Area" that has both Prime Protection and Western Canada visit the area to hike, canoe, fish, snowmobile, Multiple Use designations. Situated just west of Calgary, Alberta, cycle, quad, ski and participate in a host of other outdoor pursuits. Canada it has considerable recreational and environmental value, Industrial activities such as cattle grazing, logging and oil & gas including significant wildlife habitat development also occur in Kananaskis Country. Although it is not a park, it is managed by an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and is The original exploration and subsequent pipeline construction nicknamed "Calgary's playground" (Figure 1). Husky's land is applications required separate Alberta Energy & Utilities Board located in the Elbow /Jumpingpound Resource management area and (AEUB) public hearings with both involving significant public is overlapped by two zones of the IRP, zone 5 (Multiple use) and consultation. Prior to drilling on the lands that had been purchased zone 1 (Prime protection) (3) more than a decade ago, Husky adopted several governing principles to reduce environmental impact, mitigate damage and foster open and Project Philosophy honest communication with other industrial users, regulators, local Prior to Husky planning any oil & gas development in the area, interest groups and local aboriginal communities. During planning six governing principles were adopted: and construction, careful attention was paid to using existing linear 1. Consulting, openly and early with all interested parties. disturbances (seismic lines, roads and cutblocks). A variety of 2. Planning activities and facilities to allow co-existence with environmental studies, that incorporated ecologically-integrated present and future uses of the area. landscape classification and included the use of indicator species 3. Preparing an environmental assessment for the such as the Grizzly Bear, were conducted prior to and during the development phase to ensure appropriate environmental early stages of development The results of these studies, along with measures are taken. the information gathered from the public consultation, historical and 4. Reducing and where possible avoiding environmental cultural studies and engineering specifications formed the basis for impact through consultation, planning, design, innovation the route selection. and technology. 5. Minimizing access and ensuring any new access is Watercourses presented particular challenges during pipeline compatible with future plans of Kananaskis Countiy. construction. The pipeline right-of-way (RoW) intercepted 26 small 6. Co-ordinating industry activities so as to minimize water runs and 19 creeks. Fishery and water quality issues were disturbance and duplication of infrastructure and activity. identified as important issues in the lower Coxlull Creek and Jumpingpound Creeks. As a result, Jumpingpound Creek was In 1990, Husky conducted a seismic program, which led to a directionally drilled at two locations and all other watercourses were discovery well (02-23-12-07 W5M) being completed in March 1993. open-cut using low-impact techniques. To minimize new RoW A well test was conducted and the flow reached 125 m3/day of oil clearing, substantial portions of the pipeline were placed in the ditch and 70,000 mVday of gas and water. Following a public hearing and of the existing road. Husky attributes the success of this project to subsequent AEUB approval in 1994, a four-well drilling program was planning, broad community input and the co-operation and buy-in by initiated. The program resulted in two oil wells (10-14-23-07W5M, the project management team and construction companies. Pad 1 & 12-22-23-07WSM, Pad 3) and two gas wells (12-12-23- 07W5M, Pad 2 & 02-27-23-07, Pad 3) completed in late 199S. Husky Copyright © 2000 by ASME applied to construct a pipeline to extract the oil from Pad 3 in 1997 were conducted targeting specific groups of Kananaskis Country (10). users. The summer target group was a broad range of recreational users while the fall target group was hunters. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The proposed pipeline route lies within the Southern Foothills of Data from the surveys showed that the four most frequent the Rocky Mountains with the exception of Pad 3 which lies at the activities were sightseeing, hiking, picnicking and camping. Of those edge of the front range of the Rocky Mountains (Pettapiece, 1986). who were classified as hikers and campers, 28.5% did not know oil Elevations along the pipeline route range from 1356 m at and gas activities were occurring in Kananaskis Country end 61.6% Jumpingpound Creek to 1768 m at Pad #3. of these people considered themselves to be poorly informed about 1he oil and gas activities occurring in Kananaskis Country. Forty two The smficial deposits along the pipeline route are both glacial percent (42.5%) of the hikers and campers were of the opinion that Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IPC/proceedings-pdf/IPC2000/40245/V001T03A002/2507307/v001t03a002-ipc2000-140.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 and post-glacial in origin. They consist mostly of coarse stream oil and gas activities should not occur, hi contrast, only 14.6 % of alluvium and glacial till. Additionally, there are small areas of the hunters surveyed stated that oil and gas activity should not ofccur colhivium, alluvial fans, and aprons, as well as outwash plains (5). in Kananaskis Country (16). Soils that formed under forest vegetation are primarily Grey This led Husky to believe that the bikers and campers were more Luvisols. The textures vary from coarse sandy loam along the north sensitive to oil & gas activities than the hunters. In response to these end of the pipeline to a finer clay loam near the south (19). The soils concerns, Husky designed a pamphlet in the summer of 1998 and two in the vicinity of Jumpingpound Creek are Black orEluviated Black signs to inform hunters, hikers and campers about their activities Chernozems that were formed under grass and forb vegetation (18). during the construction phase of the project The two major watercourses that the proposed pipeline route The pamphlet was created to detail the construction activity in crosses are Jumpingpound Creek andCoxhill Creek. Jumpingpound the Moose Mountain area. It outlined Husky's governing principles. Creek originates on the Northwest slope of Jumpingpound Mountain and the conservation measures that were incorporated into the and flows for approximately 80 km to where it joins the Bow River, construction of the pipeline. One thousand copies of the pamphlet near Cochrane, Alberta. Coxhill Creek flows down Cox Hill into were printed and made available to the public in four key-areas Jumpingpound Creek and is classified as an intermittent stream (4 around the Moose Mountain area. Hie two information signs were Figure 2. designed and permanently displayed in four areas of high traffic (both hiking & vehicular) to inform the public on the status of the project as well as some results of the environmental assessment that was PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT completed prior to construction. 1. Consulting, Openly and Early With All Interested 3. Preparing and Incorporating an Environment Parties. Assessment Into the Development Phase. From the onset in 1988 Husky tried to be very open and In 1992 prior to the initial road construction an ecological straightforward about their plans for Moose Mountain. They held inventory and several environmental studies were completed. From numerous kitchen table meetings with residents and scheduled these studies the best route for the exploration road and a possible meetings with environmental and recreational groups such as the future pqjeline route was chosen. In 1997 after the successful Calgary Outdoor Council, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society completion of the sour oil well on Pad 3 a new AEUB application and the Bragg Creek Environmental Coalition. First Nations were and more environmental studies were commissioned. Upon given tours and held spiritual ceremonies, blessings and inspections completion of these studies and consideration given to engineering of the area. Newspapers were delivered to over 40,000 homes in specifications, EUB regulations and existing disturbances, three Cochrane and Bragg Creek. In addition nine Husky Oil Moose pipeline routes were presented (15) (Figure 2): Mountain Updates were mailed to over 100 people from industry, • the proposed route,

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