Enhanced Recovery - Waterflood Authorization
Licence Functionality
New wells authorized through the Enhanced Recovery (ER) authorization will have a draft well licence submissions created.
The ER authorization cannot be used on a reference for a new licence application created by an applicant; licence submissions are generated from the authorization. Changes to the following fields from the ER authorization will cause the licence to go non-routine:
- Surface Location
- Drilling Trajectory
- Bottom Hole Location
- Well Completion Type
- Pool, only if the stratigraphy is different
- Additional completions are added to the Well Licence application
- Denied well licences will repopulate a new well licence submission from the authorization.
- Cloning or withdrawing a licence generated through the Enhanced Recovery authorization is not permitted.
- To withdraw a well licence or regenerate a cancelled well licence created from an Enhanced Recovery authorization a request should be made through ER Service Desk.
Authorization Amendments
If amendments are required to existing Enhanced Recovery authorizations a request should be sent to ER Service Desk with the following details:
- Enhanced Recovery Authorization number
- Requested changes.
Amendments to the authorization would be considered if there is no change in the number of wells approved, no changes outside of approved area and if public notice was required the changes do not impact that notice validity. For example, replacing a cancelled licence, switching production/injection wells around, revising location details to avoid Non-Routine licence submissions would all be reasonable and considered authorization amendments.
A well may not require an authorization (i.e. does not require approval for a spacing change or is not for injection); those wells can be licensed and linked to a project without an authorization being required.
Note: Legacy authorizations that have been issued for Waterflood remain valid and usable.
Operator Transfers
If a project is transferred to a new operator all existing ER Waterflood Authorizations associated to that project issued remain valid. Ensure that the project operator is updated as well as transferring the well licences associated within the project. This will ensure reporting activity on completion changes remains available.
To use the existing draft well licence submissions generated by the ER Authorization contact the service desk and provide confirmation that a transfer has occurred as well as the submission numbers associated to the project that has transferred to a new operator and request the draft licence submissions be transferred.
Note: The application and authorization will remain under the BAID of the applicant, this is to maintain policy on applications being a point-in-time reference and to ensure confidential documentation submitted with the original application remains confidential.
Project Reporting and Obligations
An approved project may be subject to obligations that must be satisfied by the operator. Project obligations are triggered automatically or added anytime during the life-cycle of a project.
Project Commencement
An obligation for project commencement will be created upon creation of a project with the project number assigned in IRIS. Once criteria are met as outlined for the waterflood a company is to report commencement of the flood within 14 days.
Project Progress Report
Projects may be subject to reports dependent upon performance. If requested, an obligation will be added to the project detailing the requested information. The operator will be notified via IRIS, including the due date. Reports are held confidential by the ministry.
No annual progress report will be required unless requested.
Project Termination
An obligation for project termination is assigned on all projects. Once an operator has decided to terminate a project, this obligation can be reported against once all pressure maintenance water injection has ceased. If injection wells are reclassified to other injection types a waterflood project may be terminated. A termination report should include at minimum:
- A project evaluation with reason for termination;
- A report on all reduced spaced locations associated to the waterflood that are still active;
- Confirmation that pressure maintenance water injection has ended and is not planned in future; and
- Future plans with injection wells.
Waterflood Development Program (WDP)
The Waterflood Development Program (WDP) offers repayable royalty/freehold production tax deferral for eligible wells that have been converted to injection wells or newly drilled injection wells for the purpose of waterflooding an oil reservoir.