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Directive 081: Water Disposal Limits and Reporting Requirements for Thermal In Situ Oil Sands Schemes

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Release Date: November 05, 2019

Effective Date: November 5, 2019
Replaces previous edition issued November 21, 2012
Released with Bulletin 2019-26

Purpose of this Directive

This directive consolidates various aspects of water management requirements for thermal in situ oil sands operations. It sets water disposal limits and includes guidance for reporting facility water streams to Petrinex. The goal is that operators minimize the use of high-quality nonsaline make-up water by recycling produced water efficiently and using alternative water sources where possible. Efficient water treatment, recycle, and disposal at thermal operations will optimize overall water use and energy efficiency.

In addition to limiting disposal, this directive provides formulas for water make-up, water productivity ratios, and produced-water recycle used for monitoring and comparing thermal operations in Alberta. Scheme volumetric data are published on the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) website in the Thermal In Situ (TIS) Water Publication.