Enhancements have been made to the Kiskatinaw Seismic Monitoring and Mitigation Area (KSMMA) Special Project Order, which originally came into effect May 2018. It requires seismic hazard pre-assessments, community engagement and real-time seismic monitoring during operations within the order area.
DATE ISSUED: April 19, 2021
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 19, 2021
The BC Energy Regulator (Regulator) has made enhancements to the Kiskatinaw Seismic Monitoring and Mitigation Area (KSMMA) Special Project Order, which is aimed at induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing operations involving horizontal, multi-stage fracturing in a well in the Farmington and Tower Lake areas of northeast B.C.
The KSMMA is a special project order that originally came into effect May 2018. It requires seismic hazard pre-assessments, community engagement and real-time seismic monitoring during operations within the order area.
Highlights of the enhancements:
- Special Project Order boundaries have been changed to focus on active areas.
- Pre-assessments will follow the BCOGC template.
- An accelerometer continues to be required and their placement may be within 3 km of the well trajectory.
- The Regulator determines the magnitude of record using a local magnitude standard.
- A magnitude 3 or above event will result in the immediate suspension of fracturing activities from the suspected well(s) for a minimum five calendar days.
- A well that causes a magnitude 3 or above event will have a reduced suspension threshold of magnitude 2.7 thereafter.
More details regarding these requirements including notification and documentation submission procedures can be found by reading the enhanced Order.
If you have any questions regarding this Industry Bulletin, please contact:
Stuart Venables
Sr. Petroleum Geologist, Operations Division
BC Energy Regulator
stuart.venables@bcogc.ca
250-419-4472