The Alberta Energy Regulator says the province’s Orphan Well Association (OWA) will look after an apparent leak at an oil and gas handling facility owned by Insch Commodity Ltd.
It says it made the decision to call in the OWA because the Warburg, Alta.-based company had not started cleaning up a spill on the site west of Edmonton as required under an order issued last week.
It says the content and volume of the spill have not yet been determined.
All licences held by the oil and gas producer were suspended after no one answered its 1-800 emergency phone line following reports of the spill at the facility.
The suspension affects licences for nearly 30 wells, a similar number of pipeline segments and four facilities. Insch has been ordered to shut down its other assets by April 11.
The order also said Insch has failed to provide a security deposit or pay its 2017 contribution to the Alberta orphan well fund, which is used to reclaim oil and gas sites left behind by operators who can’t or won’t do the work.
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