Trican 12-08-061-05W4 well in Town of Bonnyville
Update on Action Plans for the Historic Well - Rig Move Pending - July 11, 2025
Background
The Orphan Well Association (OWA) has been directed by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) to address concerns with a leaking historic gas well located in the 4500 block between 45th and 46th Avenue within the Town of Bonnyville. The well was drilled by the now defunct licensee Trican Petro-Chemical Corporation in 1954. As the company has not been in existence since the 1960’s, the AER designated the well as an “orphan” and directed the OWA to decommission the well. The OWA wants to ensure nearby residents and other stakeholders are informed of our ongoing safety efforts, and the pending repair and decommissioning plans for the well.
In June 2024, the well, which was previously decommissioned to the standard of the day, was found to be leaking minor volumes of sweet natural gas (mostly methane). In response, the wellbore was located and excavated, and a monitoring and mitigation program was implemented to regularly check gas levels in the vicinity of the wellbore.
For a complete copy and update of the newsletter, please select the following link: Trican Bonnyville Newsletter - July 11, 2025
Stay Up-To-Date –Get the most up-to-date information on the project from our website http://www.orphanwell.ca/community/
Questions? – If you have questions about this project; please email us at info@orphanwell.ca.
Alphabow Update
On September 6, 2023 the OWA was directed by the AER to provide reasonable care and measures for AlphaBow’s wells, facilities and pipelines. This includes shutting-in all infrastructure and emergency response actions, if required.
Please note that AlphaBow remains a viable entity. All enquiries pertaining to AlphaBow or their infrastructure should be directed to the company at (587) 393-5059, including vendor and surface rent payments.
Trican 12-08-061-05W4 well in Town of Bonnyville
The Orphan Well Association (“OWA”) has been directed by the Alberta Energy Regulator (“AER”) to ensure public safety is maintained surrounding a 1950’s vintage sweet gas well located within the 450 0block between 45th and 46th Avenue in the Town of Bonnyville.
In June of this year, the well, which was previously decommissioned to the standard of the day, was found to be leaking minor volumes of sweet natural gas (methane). The OWA is monitoring the area, has located and exposed the wellbore, and installed a vapour recovery unit to capture gas from the soil. The OWA continues to work closely with the AER, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, and the Town of Bonnyville to ensure the safety of nearby residents.
While the leak is small, plans to permanently fix and decommission this well are nearing completion. A meeting was held on September 11th, 2024 with nearby residents and a future information session will be held for interested stakeholders.
At the time this area of Bonnyville was developed, there were no requirements to identify historic wells as part of development plans. In 2012, rules were established by Alberta Municipal Affairs that changed this requirement to help prevent these types of situations from occurring. For more information on this requirement, please visit https://www.aer.ca/regulating-development/rules-and-directives/directives/directive-079.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the OWA at info@orphanwell.ca. Questions regarding regulatory oversight and historic wells can be directed to the AER at inquiries@aer.ca.
