By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 17 -- Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. have started to shut in production at Pelican Lake oil field in Northern Alberta because forest fires at Slave Lake have caused the shutdown of the section of the Plains Midstream Rainbow pipeline that transports Pelican Lake oil to Edmonton.
Pelican Lake is about 90 km northeast of Slave Lake.
The companies said the forest fires are not close enough to cause concern for the Pelican Lake facilities at this time but because of the pipeline shutdown the oil storage at the field is filling up.
The companies anticipate storage may be full on May 18 and production would likely have to stop until pipeline operations resume.
Cenovus produces about 22,000 bo/d at Pelican Lake and CNRL produces about 40,000 bo/d.
CNRL also noted that it has evacuated 1,300 personnel from its Horizon oil sands site, which has camp facilities about 150 m from the forest fire.
Near Slave Lake, CNRL also has shut in on various properties 3,125 bo/d and 8 MMcfd of production.
159458497 Aleksei Zakirov | Dreamstime.
Photo from Esso SAF.
