Slope producer fined for unauthorized chemical injection
FINE: Unauthorized use of glycol leads to levy of $10,000 by commission.
By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
ebluemink@adn.com
Published: September 15th, 2010 08:59 PM
Last Modified: September 15th, 2010 10:53 PM
Pioneer Natural Resources, the sole independent oil producer on the North Slope, paid a $10,000 fine this week for injecting an unapproved chemical into its oil reservoir last May.
The violations involve glycol, which Pioneer was using as an anti-freeze fluid in a water supply line. Glycol is commonly injected into oil reservoirs on the North Slope but Pioneer had not sought or received permission to do so.
The glycol violations were initially reported by an employee whistleblower. Pioneer initially denied the allegations, but after concluding an internal investigation it told regulators that it had improperly injected roughly 45,000 gallons of a glycol-water mixture into the reservoir. The injections happened on two days.
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission sent a letter to Pioneer in late August proposing a $10,000 fine.
Pioneer did not contest the fine and sent its payment to the state regulator this week.
Pioneer said in a statement Wednesday that it reported the violations as soon as the company confirmed they had happened and it has received conditional approval from the commission to inject glycol in the future.
The AOGCC is still investigating other allegations reported by the whistleblower, Mike Kelley, who quit his job at the company soon after making the accusations.
Among other accusations, Kelley claimed the company covered up spills, injured wildlife and created unsafe conditions for workers.
Kelley further alleged that the AOGCC neglected its duty to regulate the company. For that and other reasons, the commission hired an external investigator, Robert Shoaf, to handle the case. His report to the agency is expected next week.
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Find Elizabeth Bluemink online at adn.com/contact/ebluemink or call 257-4317.
For Our Environment ~ Uncovering Public Trust Doctrine Violators on Alaska's Frontier
THIS SITE HISTORICAL:
In 2008 through 2010, an "Independent mom & pop" oil company violated the "Alaskan Public Trust" doctrine, allowing malfeasance and environmental atrocities upon the "Last Frontier". This "blog" is dedicated to follow the outcome of the illegal activities that have now become front and center attention before the regulators in charge of making sure the "Public Trust" is upheld, as a centralized forum to make sure Alaskans and others are kept abreast of penalties and fines upon those that feel Alaska is the "Last Frontier Dumping Grounds".
The above image depicts a crude oil well flow-back test, wherein for days hydrocarbon saturated "wet" natural gas was allowed to vent to the atmosphere out a safety relief valve, with temperatures and ambient conditions such that the "wet" vapors most likely condensed and fell upon the pristine waters of Harrison Bay of the Colville River delta, a place so far removed from man-made pollution. This image is also the cover photo of the report called "Alaska's Deadliest Sin", a culmination of malfeasance and environmental corruption evidence upon this Independent, collected by an ex-employee who has made it a personal "mission" to make sure this kind of irresponsible behavior is stopped and never again repeated on this "Frontier". To date, the company – Pioneer Natural Resources - has attempted to deny all allegations, but the evidence allowing denial is too strong. With that, the company has started to admit true so serious these violations. They have admitted their actions are indeed a violation of "Public Trust". With a 3rd party ongoing investigation following the submittal of the "Sin", the end result should be stiff fines and penalties upon the perpetrators, that which sends a message to those that want to "Go North" for oil exploration and exploitation.
"Drill Baby Drill" is upon us, thanks to Sarah Palin and others, and we must stand up against this all out blitzkrieg assault upon the ecosystem, to protect the environment from continued malfeasance and environmental atrocities, as it is not worth another Love Canal!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 2008 through 2010, an "Independent mom & pop" oil company violated the "Alaskan Public Trust" doctrine, allowing malfeasance and environmental atrocities upon the "Last Frontier". This "blog" is dedicated to follow the outcome of the illegal activities that have now become front and center attention before the regulators in charge of making sure the "Public Trust" is upheld, as a centralized forum to make sure Alaskans and others are kept abreast of penalties and fines upon those that feel Alaska is the "Last Frontier Dumping Grounds".
The above image depicts a crude oil well flow-back test, wherein for days hydrocarbon saturated "wet" natural gas was allowed to vent to the atmosphere out a safety relief valve, with temperatures and ambient conditions such that the "wet" vapors most likely condensed and fell upon the pristine waters of Harrison Bay of the Colville River delta, a place so far removed from man-made pollution. This image is also the cover photo of the report called "Alaska's Deadliest Sin", a culmination of malfeasance and environmental corruption evidence upon this Independent, collected by an ex-employee who has made it a personal "mission" to make sure this kind of irresponsible behavior is stopped and never again repeated on this "Frontier". To date, the company – Pioneer Natural Resources - has attempted to deny all allegations, but the evidence allowing denial is too strong. With that, the company has started to admit true so serious these violations. They have admitted their actions are indeed a violation of "Public Trust". With a 3rd party ongoing investigation following the submittal of the "Sin", the end result should be stiff fines and penalties upon the perpetrators, that which sends a message to those that want to "Go North" for oil exploration and exploitation.
"Drill Baby Drill" is upon us, thanks to Sarah Palin and others, and we must stand up against this all out blitzkrieg assault upon the ecosystem, to protect the environment from continued malfeasance and environmental atrocities, as it is not worth another Love Canal!
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