New-found Threat: Researchers discover ancient salt formation key factor in Alberta steam fracking disasters and Review by four engineers finds fractures spread like cracks on a frozen lake, resulting in uncontrolled seepage

New-found Threat, TYEE EXCLUSIVE: Researchers discover ancient salt formation key factor in Alberta steam fracking disasters by Andrew Nikiforuk, July 28, 2014, TheTyee.ca

David Schindler, a world famous water researcher and long-time critic of rapid bitumen development, called Cowie’s research clear and significant and urged provincial authorities to change how projects are approved and monitored.

“Once again, the scientific homework is done after the assignment is due. When will the Alberta government ever learn?”

Steam Injection Fracking Caused Major Alberta Bitumen Leak, Review finds fractures spread like cracks on a frozen lake, resulting in uncontrolled seepage by Andrew Nikiforuk, July 24, 2014, TheTyee.ca

Des injections à la vapeur auraient causé les fuites de bitume en Alberta translation by Amie du Richelieu July 26, 2014

The Review

CNRL’s First Causation Report

Source: CNRL Primrose Flow to Surface Causation Report

[Refer also to:

Fracing the Caprock to Hell: Athabasca Chipewyan Knew that Cracked Caprock Could Cause Bitumen Leaks in Cold Lake – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Finally Agrees

More on CNRL high pressure steam injection at Primrose and the Alberta Energy Regulator caving to its funder instead of regulating

The AER caves again: Modified Primrose steaming plan approved, Regulator approves limited resumption at Canadian Natural operations despite serious bitumen leaks to surface

AER denies one of two CNRL applications to resume high-pressure steam injection near Cold Lake; AER keeps approving Encana’s high pressure frac fluid injection around dangerously contaminated water wells and Rosebud municipal drinking water supply

Alberta government lays 11 charges against CNRL tarsands company for releasing hydrogen sulphide gas from Horizon upgrader

Alberta Regulator Quietly Halts High Pressure Steam Injection for Bitumen Mining Near Fort Mac, After several leaks, production frozen while technical review is conducted

Satellite data sound alarm on safety of high pressure injection; data shows significant ground deformation (subsidence and uplift) in area of CNRL leak, 10 times faster than lower-pressure injection

Alberta regulator investigates another CNRL well leak in troubled leaking Primrose field; Cenovus spills 1300 gallons of drilling fluids at Cold Lake

Where’s the regulator? CNRL releases into formation another 7000 gallons of Crude Bitumen at Primrose, Cold lake, does not yet know how to repair the problem, or past releases

Alberta Environment: Cold Lake frac’d bitumen leak has contaminated groundwater; Nikiforuk: Caprock Integrity, Risks of steam-assisted bitumen recovery too little discussed

“You can fix a wellbore, but you can’t repair a fractured cap rock,”

Leak at Tar Sands Project in Alberta Heightens Conservationists’ concerns; CNRL Cold Lake Bitumen Geyser Continues, Despite Company Claims

‘Nobody understands’ leaks at Alberta tar sands high pressure injection operation, Leaks in Cold Lake have been going on for weeks with no end in sight, according to a government scientist

Above snaps from ERCB (now AER) Investigation Report into the 2009 seep to surface Regulator report not released until January 8, 2013