Alberta Energy Regulator Responding to Emulsion Release in Cold Lake

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - June 27, 2013) - The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is responding to a release of bitumen emulsion to surface at a high pressure cyclic steam project on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. The project, known as Primrose, is operated by Canadian Natural Resources Limited.

The affected area is off lease and has impacted a nearby slough. The company has begun clean-up operations. There were no injuries as a result of the release. The volume of emulsion released has not been confirmed at this time.

The AER is onsite and will continue to work with the company, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development and other agencies to ensure that the incident is controlled, contained, and all appropriate clean up and mitigation measures take place. The AER is conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident. All information is preliminary and may be changed as updates are available.

During an incident, the AER works with the company, local authority, and other provincial agencies to coordinate efficient and effective response by all parties involved. The AER expects the responsible party to respond immediately and effectively to all energy incidents and to limit impacts to the public, property, and the environment. The AER will hold the responsible party accountable for the incident and its impacts.

The Alberta Energy Regulator ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of hydrocarbon resources over their entire life cycle. This includes allocating and conserving water resources, managing public lands, and protecting the environment while providing economic benefits for all Albertans.