Pengrowth Energy Corp., Calgary, said it received regulatory approval for the second commercial phase of the Lindbergh thermal project in the Cold Lake area of eastern Alberta.
The Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approval after 30 months of project review by stakeholders and regulators “contains no conditions that materially change the estimated cost, scope, or timing of the project.”
The first commercial phase—with a nameplate capacity of 12,500 b/d—averaged 15,256 b/d of bitumen in this year’s first quarter. The second phase will add 17,500 b/d of capacity. Pengrowth said capital cost estimates and commitments for the second phase “will likely not be pursued until market conditions are more supportive of these activities.”
The original two pilot well pairs that have been on production for more than 48 months have recovered 2.3 million bbl of the 2.4 million bbl of bitumen originally estimated as recoverable (OGJ Online, Dec. 16, 2014).
