Newpark Environmental Services

Landspray While Drilling Information

Questions Answered About Your Land and Water

Why are we giving land owners this information?

You may have been contacted about land or water access by a Newpark Environmental field technician or an oil company representative. This brochure will help explain the LWD process, how land is chosen, outline payment policies and answer your questions.

What is Landspray While Drilling?

Due to the amount of oil patch activity in your area, you may have seen water trucks or vacuum trucks land spraying drilling waste in the county. Landspray While Drilling (LWD) is an environmentally friendly method of waste disposal. It involves safely spraying drilling wastes on lands meeting specific LWD requirements.

In 1996, the Alberta Energy Utilities Board (EUB), together with various stakeholders, conducted research on over 4,000 drilling sites in order to develop appropriate guidelines to ensure this method of waste disposal is environmentally sound. These guidelines, known as the G50, were established to ensure protection of receiving soil and groundwater. Newpark Environmental Services (at that time ProActa Environmental Services) was heavily involved in this process . If you would like to access a copy of the G50, please visit www.eub.gov.ab.ca/BBS/requirements/Guides/g50.htm or call the EUB at (403) 297-8190.

The G50 guidelines state:

        ·     Only approved mud systems will be considered
        ·     All mud additives must be approved and accounted for
        ·     The waste must pass rigorous analysis
        ·     Receiving soil must be screened to ensure suitability

How do we choose a suitable location?

There are several factors that must be considered when choosing an appropriate water access or land spray field. The largest variables are weather, crop status and access to the locations. The EUB and Alberta Environment regulations dictate various physical and chemical limits that everyone must follow. Some common discussion or limiting factors are:

1. Does the water hole contain enough volume?
2. Will the access hold up during adverse weather conditions?
3. Salinity of the receiving soil and water must be within set limits.
4. Does the spray area have the appropriate EUB set back requirements from water bodies, low areas and streams?
5. Is the land suitable based on slope limits or runoff concerns?
6. Are the locations accessible by the commercial vehicles that will be used?
7. Are there any obstacles in the field or along the access that may be a problem?

What happens next?

Yes, my land or water access has been approved

If you have been informed that your land or water access is suitable, a Newpark Environmental Services representative will contact you to set up an appropriate meeting time. During the meeting, legal contracts can be signed and any questions answered. Often a tour of the access road or landspray location will be requested to ensure all obstacles are identified. See the back panel of this brochure for information on payment policies.

No, my land or water access is not approved

If the available water access or spread field does not meet the required specifications or the Newpark representative is unable to come to an agreement within the desired time constraints, the next closest landowner will be contacted. Newpark strives to be fair in determining whose land is utilized and will often ask the lease landowner for recommendations.

Who is Newpark Environmental Services?

Newpark Environmental Services (NES) specializes in drilling waste disposal, land reclamation, water treatment, bioremediation and spill response. We are regarded as industry leaders and are involved in the continual development of various disposal regulations. We began as ProActa Environmental Services in 1993 and are proud to have worked with landowners, oil companies and all levels of government and regulatory bodies. NES ensures regulatory compliance in order to protect your interests. We are the liaisons between operators and landowners ensuring:

        ·     Regulatory compliance
        ·     Landowner satisfaction with disposal operations
        ·     Payment facilitation for land and water access
        ·     Analysis, documentation and reporting to appropriate regulatory
              agencies regarding the operation

For more information about Newpark Environmental Services, visit us at www.newpark.ca

How and when will I get paid?

        ·     You will have signed a contract in your meeting with your
              Newpark field representative
        ·     To ensure timely payments, please ensure your name and
              address appear correctly
              on all contracts
        ·     Payment will be mailed 4 to 6 weeks after completion of drilling
        ·     Retain a copy of all contracts and refer to them when making inquiries

Newpark maintains fair rates to all landowners.

How to contact us:

If you have questions about payments please contact your local Newpark representative. For other inquiries, please contact our Drilling Waste Administration department.

Payment Inquiries

If you have any questions about payments, please contact your local Newpark field representative.

Other Inquiries

Drilling Waste Administration
Newpark Environmental Services
300, 635-6th Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0T5
Phone: (403) 781-5443
Fax: (403) 266-4853