Another frac mess! 200 Evacuated, Nearly 70 homes damaged in Marinza, Albania; Canadian firm Bankers Petroleum Ltd (has CO2 steam injection pilot project there), was at 500 metres depth when “volcanos” of gas, mud (chemicals?) and water erupted

The German news clip included below is no longer available

Shpërthejnë puset e naftës në Marinzë, evakuohen dhjetra banorë – Albanian Screen TV

2015 04 02 Bankers Petroleum gas, CO2, mud errupts from 500 metres deep, 200 people evacuated from Albania village

 Click to watch: Fontänen aus Gas und Schlamm schießen aus dem Boden [IN GERMAN, ENGLISH NOT NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE DAMAGES AND HORROR FOR THE COMMUNITY]  Veröffentlicht am April 2, 2015, Kanadische Firma bestreitet einen Zusammenhang zu Ölbohrungen in dem Dorf.

Nearly 70 houses damaged by gas explosions in Albania Xinhua, April 3, 2015, Global Times

Nearly 70 houses were damaged by gas explosions occurred in southwestern Albania, the head of Kuman commune, Rajmond Plaka, said on Thursday.

Among which 35 of them have grave and serious damages, three are uninhabitable, while the others will be assessed by a commission established by the region, Plaka said.

Also criminal proceedings have been launched against Bankers Petroleum which caused gas explosion in Marinza, Fier Police Directorate announced on Thursday.

The places where the gas exploded are located nearly 200 meters from the well where the company was drilling.

Authorities inspected the houses damaged from the mud and water leaking from the explosions. Also an unpaved road in Marinza village suffered some damage in several parts.

Police are still waiting for experts of the Albanian National Agency of Natural Resources (NANR) to determine the causes of the explosions.

Meantime, it is very difficult for the residents evacuated from the village to go back to their homes due to the gas, water and mud that have entered in their houses.

Hundreds of tons of clay have fallen on their lands, houses, while the walls of some houses have cracked. Big and dangerous holes have appeared in the lands and roads, while the panicked residents seek the assistance of the state authorities, according to Albanian Daily News.

The Prefect of Fier, Xhevit Bushi, said that the company has accepted that the damage has been caused by them and the residents will be compensated for their damages. [Bankers Petroleum didn’t initially, refer below]

“A unit has been established to verify damages after the meeting with Albanian Minister of Energy, where Bankers took over the responsibility to compensate all the damages caused by this misfortune,” said Bushi. [Emphasis added]

Bankers Petroleum Ltd logo

BANKERS PETROLEUM ALBANIA ACTIVATED EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN Press Release by Bankers Petroleum, April 1st, 2015, Canada News Wire
CALGARY, April 1, 2015 /CNW/ – Bankers Petroleum Ltd. (“Bankers” or the “Company”) (TSX: BNK, AIM: BNK) At 6:30am CEST (10:30pm MDT) on Wednesday, April 1, Bankers Petroleum Albania Ltd. activated its Emergency Response Plan as the result of an uncontrolled carbon dioxide release during the drilling of a horizontal well within the Patos-Marinza oilfield, with secondary communication to several nearby shallow wells.

Bankers has regained surface controlof drilling operations [What about the subsurface?], returning most impacted residents to their homes, however, as a precautionary measure continues to maintain a small evacuation area immediately adjacent to the affected well.

… Bankers Petroleum Ltd. is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing large oil and gas reserves. … SOURCE Bankers Petroleum Ltd.

BRIEF HISTORY

BANKERS PETROLEUM OPERATIONAL UPDATE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER 2014
October 6th, 2014

Drilling Update

A record forty-five (45) wells were drilled and rig released during the third quarter in the main area of the Patos-Marinza oilfield: forty-four (44) horizontal production wells and the Company’s first multi-lateral well. Thirty-five (35) of these wells were completed and are on production with the remaining ten (10) to be placed on production in October pending drilling rig move off the pad, well completions and facilities tie-in.

Initial Multi-Lateral Well Results

Bankers drilled its first pilot multi-lateral well with dual legs into the Gorani formation in August and placed the well on initial clean-up and evaluation on August 24th. The well has been tested for over 30 days reaching an average rate of more than 200 bopd.

The Company is very encouraged by the early-stage performance of the dual laterals and will continue to produce the well on extended test and evaluate the mechanical integrity and lateral accessibility over the next few months. This adds another tool to our drilling program, which will enable us to target locations with heavy oil mobility concerns and thinner pay zones to expand our development and improve recovery at good capital efficiency. Additional multi-lateral equipment is being procured for 2015.

Secondary Recovery Program

The polymer flood and water flood patterns in the Patos Marinza oilfield continue to perform better than expected and deliver positive response from the eighteen (18) polymer and three (3) water flood patterns installed at the end of the third quarter. Reservoir pressure and production response are rising and above current projection models with injection performance achieving target rates indicative of good reservoir conformance.

Nine (9) wells were converted to polymer injection in the third quarter. Three (3) injectors expanded the Lower Driza patterns in the southern region of the main field and six (6) injectors were installed in a new area in the central region of the main field where the reservoir and fluid properties are amenable to polymer flooding with thick pay zones. This completes the conversion program planned for this year ahead of schedule.

To-date, Bankers has implemented three (3) water flood injectors in the Upper Marinza zone (M0 reservoir sand) in the central region, twelve (12) polymer flood injectors in Lower Driza zones spread evenly between the D5, D4, and D3 reservoir sands in the southern region, and six (6) polymer injectors spread evenly in the three Lower Driza zones in the central region of the main Patos Marinza field.

The Company is very encouraged by the potential of polymer flooding additional patterns in Patos Marinza and are moving forward with procuring dry polymer chemical, mixing equipment and pumping skids to support further expansion of the program in 2015. [Emphasis added]

Special Report: EOR/Heavy Oil Survey: CO2 miscible, steam dominate enhanced oil recovery processes by Guntis Moritis, April 19, 2010, Oil and Gas Journal

Bankers Petroleum Ltd. in a recent presentation said that in 2010 it will start a steam injection pilot in Albania’s Patos Marinza oil field with oil production starting 2011.

Bankers ups production from Patos Marinza oilfield by Bankers Petroleum, July 21, 2008, energy-pedia

… On June 21, Bankers commenced drilling operations in the field with the spudding of the first vertical infill well. The well has been drilled and cased to a total depth of 1,343 metres. As the first of four wells to be drilled off a drilling pad, the well was programmed to test the potential of multiple Gorani and Driza sandstone formations within the first of numerous undrilled spacing units in the field that the Company interprets as being undrained areas. Log analysis indicates that eight individual sandstone units, ranging from 3 to 18 metres of net pay, are hydrocarbon bearing with combined net pay of 39 metres. Six of the eight zones were evaluated for reservoir pressure: data confirms that the zones tested were porous and permeable reservoir quality sandstones, and that five of the six zones were at or near virgin reservoir pressure with the sixth interval demonstrating an approximate 50 percent pressure depletion. These positive results confirm the Company’s drainage model and support its plans to drill an additional 110 vertical and horizontal wells within the field over the next three years. The second well on the pad reached total depth of 1,390 metres and is currently being prepared for logging operations. It is anticipated that it will take three more weeks to finish drilling the remaining two wells on the pad, following which completion operations will commence and the wells will be placed on production.

… Bankers Petroleum Ltd. is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing large oil and gas reserves. In Albania, Bankers operates and has the full rights to develop the Patos-Marinza heavy oil field and has a 100% interest in the Kucova oil field. [Emphasis added]

Cold Heavy Oil Production at Patos-Marinza, Albania by Brian Weatherill (Adams Pearson Associates Inc.), Andrew C. Seto (APA Petroleum Engineering Inc.), Suneel K. Gupta (Saxon Energy Inc.) , Leonidha Çobo (Saxon International Energy Ltd.) DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.2118/97992-MSDocument IDSPE-97992-MS Publisher Society of Petroleum Engineers Source SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, 1-3 November, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Publication Date 2005

Abstract

The Patos-Marinza Heavy Oil Field, located in southern Albania, was discovered in 1928. The reservoir…contains one of the largest onshore oil resources in continental Europe. …

In 1999, foamy oil production was successfully tested in the laboratory for field application at Patos-Marinza. Subsequently, progressive cavity pumps (‘PCP’s) were installed in 12 wells in the northern region of the field completed in the main Driza sands, as a pilot test of Cold Heavy Oil Production (‘CHOP’) technology to improve recovery.In July 2004, an intensive campaign of well reactivations using CHOP technology was initiated under new operatorship.

The performance of the pilot test indicated that foamy oil behavior had been clearly initiated at 5 of the initial test wells as a result of the increased drawdown applied to the reservoir. Oil production rates were increased significantly, by an order of magnitude, between 10 m3/d and 20 m3/d.In addition, sand cuts of between 5% and 20% and foam cuts were reported.

The performance of the wells put on CHOP production since change of operatorship in July 2004, have yielded good results. As of July 2005, the current operator has taken over 76 wells and continues to progressively apply CHOP technology to the field.This paper focuses on the wells that have exhibited clearly defined CHOP performance characteristics and reports the initial results in terms of well production rate responses.

Introduction

… The reservoirs of this large oil field are heavily faulted and compartmentalized and comprised of three main oil-bearing sandstone formations, the Driza, Marinza and Gorani, in a large, dipping structure. [Emphasis added]

Albania has active but difficult drilling program by Fatmir Shehu, Albanian National Oil Co. Fier, Albania and Daniel Johnston, Daniel Johnston & Co. Inc. Dallas, November 18, 1991, Oil and Gas Journal

The technical and economic performance of drilling operations in Albania has improved during the past few years, though it has not reached a high level. The low performance results from geological complications and the use of old equipment with low capacities.

Of the 3,000 wells still producing, around 2,000 produce oil, and around 1,000 produce gas. Oil production averages 3,000 tons/day (20,000 bo/d), split between the fractured Ionian carbonates and the Miocene sandstones which unconformably overlay the carbonates. Total gas production averages over 1 million cu m/day (35 MMcfd). These figures break down to 1.5-3.0 tons/day (7-15 bo/d) per oil well and 1,000-1,500 cu m/day (30-50 Mcfd) per gas well (Table 2).

Heavy oil accounts for approximately half of the oil production in Albania. Most of this production comes from the Marinze field complex which produces both heavy and light oil. Estimates for the original oil in place (heavy oil) at Marinze range around 200 million tons (1.0-1.2 billion bbl). The Marinze field was discovered in 1927 and developed in 1944. Since 1944, over 2,000 wells have been drilled in the field, and it has produced about 12 million tons (70 million bbl).

The sandstone reservoirs dip about 12 to the northwest, and the shallower Gorani and Driza sands outcrop to the southeast (Fig. 2). Because of this, the younger, shallower sands contain the heavy oils. The shallow Gorani sands have extremely heavy oil approaching tar and bitumen. 

The sandstones are generally clean, porous sands with some interbedded-laminated montmorillonitic shales.

The sandstones are generally unconsolidated, causing numerous production problems.

… Albania’s gas fields are located on the coastal sector northeast of the main oil producing region (Fig. 3). The dry biogenic gas is produced exclusively from the sandstone reservoirs. The country’s deepest well was drilled in the Ardenica anticline to a depth of 6,700 m, but it did not reach the Ionian carbonates. The Vlora-Lushnje-Elbasan-Diber fault geologically separates the oil fields to the southeast from the gas fields. The northern-most gas field is named after the nearby port city of Durres, and gas seeps have been reported in this area.

Additional gas production comes from the associated gas in the oil fields and from gas condensate and gas cap reservoirs in the carbonates to the southeast.
The geological structures encountered are of Neogen and Paleogen ages. The typical lithologies in the well sections include shale, limestone, flysch, and halogene formations,
The pay zones include the Tortonian (oil and gas), Pliocene (gas), and Eocene limestone (oil, gas, and gas condensate).

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Albanian drilling operations are under six enterprises in the oil territories: Saranda, Vlora, Patos (2), Kucove, and Lushnje. The enterprise in Lushnje drills the gas exploration and production wells.

Another enterprise handles infill drilling with 20 rigs that drill wells solely for steam injection, water injection, and CO2 injection. The remaining five enterprises have about 40 rigs.

… The Technological Research and Design Institute in Patos handles technological drilling projects and studies the problems encountered in drilling. The drilling engineers at the institute study drilling muds, cementation, formation mechanics, formation pressure gradients, deviated drilling, and horizontal drilling. 

DRILLING MUDS
Different blends of drilling mud are used because the geologic conditions vary across the fields. The most common muds are the nonmineralized drilling muds treated with sodium lignites and ferrochrome lignosulfonates. [Toxic, chromium based] Most of these additives are manufactured in Albania.

Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC), an additive for water loss control, is often imported from China, Holland, or Italy. Since 1980, Albania has manufactured regular-grade CMC for water loss control in drilling operations with medium viscosity mud.
Calcium-inhibited (lime, chlorocalcium, or gypsum), salt-saturated, and oil-based muds have had applications in a number of drilling operations. In sections of high abnormal pressures, the gypsum muds provide satisfactory rheology and water loss control characteristics for mud densities up to 2.4 g/cc.

For density control, limestone (CaCO3) and barite (BaSO4) increase mud density up to 1.4 g/cc and 2.4 g/cc, respectively. The research institute is studying the applicability of hematite for density control. (The hematite is a by-product of pyrite burning in the presence of sulfuric acid.) The natural clays used for drilling muds typically have a mineralogical composition of 55-60% montmorillonite, 20-30% kaolinite, and 10-25% illite.

WELL DESIGN
The steel grades used predominantly for intermediate casing are J-55, N-80, and P-105. For production casing across oil and gas zones with high H2S and SO2 content (27% H2S and 6-13% CO2), Grade C-95 casing is used. Well design calculations are computed with the biaxial and triaxial stress analysis methods. The triaxial method is used for pipe with a thickness-to-diameter ratio greater than 0.10.

Table 5 shows a well design representative of the deep wells drilled in Albania. Most of the wells contain some combination of 13 3/8-in., 9 5/8-in., 7-in., and 5-in. casing. The landing depth is a function of formation pressure gradient profile, fracture pressure, chemical and mineralogical nature of the formations, elastic-plastic properties of the formations, and pay zone depth.

WELL CEMENTING
Oil well cements are manufactured in Elbasan and Fushe-Kru in Albania. The cement has the following mineralogical content: 21.24% SiO2, 6.42% Al2O1, 19.00% FeO3, 49.50% CaO, 3.01% MgO, and 0.38% SO3.

Cement slurries are measured to American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications using API-standard lab equipment available in the cementing laboratories.

The Romanian equipment used for cementing jobs can attain pressures up to 700 atm, but at low rates. However, the equipment does not work well at high pressures.

Albanian drilling specialists have achieved cement heights of 2,000-3,000 m and have successfully performed numerous stage and liner cementations.

Standard practice for running casing includes the use of centralizers and reciprocation of the pipe during the job. Turbulent cement flow and specially blended (domestic) spacers help remove mud during the cement jobs. When cementing through gas bearing formations near water bearing formations, standard practice requires an increase in slurry volume to ensure that the slurry better infills the gas interval.
The addition of ferrochrome lignosulfonate or dextrin (a product of maize processing) increases cement setting time. Both of these chemicals are produced in Albania.

Some of the abnormally pressured sections require cementing with high density slurries (up to 2.4 g/cc) weighted with ilmenite. A typical high density cement slurry contains the following: cement-to-ilmenite ratio of 1:1, 0.3% dextrin, 0.2% sodium bichroniate, and 0.1% CMC. This slurry composition successfully cemented a 7-in. liner at a depth of 3,993-5,681 m (Table 5). The slurry had the following properties: density of 2.4 g/cc, plastic viscosity of 145 cp, yield point of 143 dyne/sq cm, and pumping time of 389 min.

DRILLING DIFFICULTIES
The hydrocarbon bearing territories extend through a geosynclinal zone of highly developed tectonics. The complicated geologic structure of the deep and very deep zones complicates drilling and causes a number of drilling problems.

Typical problems in these sections include formation sloughing, washouts, abnormal pressures, circulation losses, gas blowouts, stuck pipe, gas seepage into the annulus (particularly during or just after cementing), and well bore deviation. Many of these problems have been lessened over time through experience in the area and through technological advances.

A number of wells have been drilled in the periadriatic structures, mainly in the Tortonian, which has formations of high abnormal pressure, These wells have had problems with formation sloughing, string sticking, and fluid flow.

Lost circulation and formation fractures have occurred in the carbonates and in the terrigenous formations because the formation pressure gradient is close to the fracture pressure gradient. Mud additives and better drilling hydrodynamics prevent some of the circulation losses. Rice peelings, the most frequently used lost circulation material, have had much success at concentrations around 10-15 kg/cu m.

Because of the problems with formation fracturing, engineers measure and evaluate formation pressure gradients and fracture gradients to ensure an equilibrium between the formation and well. Fig. 6 shows the evaluated pressure gradient, equivalent mud density, and formation pressure tests for the Ardenica-18 well down to a depth 6,700 m. The predicted values match fairly well with the actual formation tests.
The measured abnormal pressure gradients have ranged around 2.1-2.2 atm/10 m. The measured temperature gradient is normal at about 1.65-1.75 C./100 m.

Formation sloughing occurs particularly during drilling of the abnormal pressure sections and the flysch sections of the Oligocene age. Gypsum or salt-inhibited water-based muds weighted up to relatively high densities help prevent sloughing by counteracting the formation pressure and tectonic stresses.

The high pressure formations have led to a number of blowouts, which in certain cases have included exceptional waste and large fires. Well Cakran-37 was one of the most catastrophic blowouts, reaching pressures up to 350 atm and lasting about 3 years. This gas condensate well was drilled in massive limestone formations. Albanian well control specialists obtained much experience and knowledge in killing blowouts and fighting fires as a result of this well. [Emphasis added]

MUST WATCH! click on link or images below: Fontänen aus Gas und Schlamm schießen aus dem Boden [IN GERMAN, ENGLISH NOT NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE DAMAGES AND HORROR FOR THE COMMUNITY]

Veröffentlicht am April 2, 2015, Kanadische Firma bestreitet einen Zusammenhang zu Ölbohrungen in dem Dorf.

2015 04 02 Bankers Petroleum gas, CO2, mud errupts from 500 metres deep, 200 people evacuated from Albania village

2015 04 02 Bankers Petroleum gas, CO2, mud errupts from 500 metres deep, 200 people evacuated from Albania village 3

2015 04 02 Bankers Petroleum gas, CO2, mud errupts from 500 metres deep, 200 people evacuated from Albania village 4 2015 04 02 Bankers Petroleum gas, CO2, mud errupts from 500 metres deep, 200 people evacuated from Albania village 7

Bankers Petroleum says venting at Albanian oil field under control by Benet Koleka, editing by Pravin Char, April 1, 2015, Reuters

Canada’s Bankers Petroleum has brought under control the venting of sweet gas, mud and sand at a well at its Albanian oil field of Patos-Marinza, it said on Wednesday.

No-one was reported injured when the release happened as a well was drilled at the field east of the town of Fier, southern Albania, early on Wednesday. Some 60 families were evacuated at the first signs of escaping gas.

TV footage showed two fountains formed of gas, mud and sand rising into the air, and muddy water coming out of the ground in the streets of a nearby village and the yards of houses.

“There is no longer a release,” a Bankers spokesman told Reuters. “This is not hydrocarbon gas, it is surface gas, harmless, sweet and non-poisonous.” [CO2 can kill; industry’s injected CO2 for enhanced recovery has killed]

Bankers usually has to drill down to 1,300 metres to reach oil layers in Patos-Marinza, but Wednesday’s well had been drilled to just 500 metres when the venting occurred, the spokesman said.

Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri has visited the site, an Albanian energy ministry spokesman said.

“The minister asked that the residents return to their homes as soon as possible and agreed with the company it would cover the costs of any damages that might emerge from the evaluation on the ground,” he added. [Emphasis added]

Pétrole de schiste en Albanie : un village évacué Traduit par Chloé Billon, Publié dans la presse : 2 avril 2015, Mise en ligne : samedi 4 avril 2015, Le Courrier des Balkans

Google Translation of the article: Shale oil in Albania: an evacuated town
Several explosions were heard Wednesday near the city of Fier, in southern Albania, the largest onshore oil field in Europe. A village was evacuated. This is not the first time that the population expressed concern for the environmental and health impacts caused by hydraulic fracturing. Bankers Petroleum company denies responsibility.

April 1 in the morning, the Albanian government ordered the evacuation of the village of Marinza, near the city of Fier, following several explosions on an oil field in the south. The accident occurred during the extraction process gas and shale oil, which requires high-pressure injection of large amounts of water and chemicals into the rock.

Periodic explosions, as well as small earthquakes, and pollution of groundwater, have pushed the local population to demonstrate repeatedly. The company Bankers Petroleum, which operates the concession of the Patos-Marinza oilfield, the largest land oil field in Europe, has itself confirmed the news of the accident, although it still for now denied its responsibility for local issues.

Bankers company registered in Canada, won the concession in 2004, before expanding its control in Kuçova field, the second largest Albanian oil field. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2009 granted the company a credit of up to € 110 million, which was subsequently raised to 200 million, the repayment period is postponed 2020.

For some years now, the “investor” Canada holds the title of most profitable company in Albania. Last year, it achieved record profits of almost $ 600 million. In mid-2014, the Albanian President Bujar Nishani decorated the CEO of Bankers F. Abdel Badwy of the Order of Merit during a ceremony at the presidential palace. Yet, according to Bloomberg data, gasoline distributed to consumers in Albania is one of the most expensive in the world, much more expensive than in neighboring countries, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo. [Emphasis added]

Oil Well Blast Forces Albania Villagers to Flee, Several hundred inhabitants of the village of Marinza in southern Albania were ordered to leave their homes after a natural gas explosion sent fumes high in the sky Gjergj Erebara, April 1, 2015, Balkan Insight

Albanian authorities ordered the evacuation of an entire village in southern Albania after two uncontrolled leakages of natural gas occurred during drilling works for a new well owned by Bankers Petroleum, the main petroleum extraction company in Albania.

Local media footage showed plumes hundreds of metres high in the sky. The inhabitants reported that their water wells exploded with a mix of shale, water and gas. No casualities were reported.

Bankers Petroleum said in a statement that it is investigating the causes of the explosion and is working to control the leakage before starting clean-up works.

The Ministry of Energy and Industry said there was no further risk to the villagers and that the leaked gas posed no threat to the health of the population.

Bankers Petroleum is a Canadian-based oil extraction company that uses techniques developed early in Canada and US to extract heavy oil from mature oilfields. Bankers is currently the biggest company in Albania, earning $583 million during last year.

It has experienced several incidents during the last few years and had been accused of causing earthquakes and damaging and polluting the environment.

The company has denied these allegations and says it has spent about $70 million in clean-up projects, [WHY CLEAN UP IF YOU DIDN’T DO IT?] taking responsibility not only for its own operations but for pollution inherited from the period when the oilfield was operated by the government of Albania.

2015 04 01 Albania gas erruptions by Bankers Petroleum, during drilling, CO2 injection at 500 metres

Water and other liquids run out of the Albanian village of Marinze, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital Tirana Thursday April 1, 2015. Albanian authorities are evacuating residents of Marinze following an explosion at a Canadian-owned oil well. No injuries were reported. A statement from the Calgary-based Bankers Petroleum Ltd. said an “uncontrolled leak of natural gas occurred during drilling operation.” (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Water and other liquids run out at the Albanian village of Marinze, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital Tirana Thursday April 1, 2015. Albanian authorities are evacuating residents of Marinze following an explosion at a Canadian-owned oil well. No injuries were reported. A statement from the Calgary-based Bankers Petroleum Ltd. said an “uncontrolled leak of natural gas occurred during drilling operation.” (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina) [Emphasis added]

Albania authorities evacuate residents after explosion at a Bankers Petroleum oil well
by Associated Press, April 01, 2015, Fox News
TIRANA, Albania – Albanian authorities are evacuating residents of a village following an explosion at a Canadian-owned oil well. … A statement from the Calgary-based Bankers Petroleum Ltd. said an “uncontrolled leak of natural gas occurred during drilling operation” Wednesday in Marinze, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the capital Tirana.

Residents were being evacuated due to fumes from the blast, which the company said were not harmful. It said it was working with local authorities to evacuate residents and later clean the area. Energy Ministry spokesman Dardan Malaj said some residents were refusing to leave their homes.

Bankers Petroleum has been operating in Albania since 2004, and produces up to 1.2 million tons of oil per year. Last year, Albania produced a total of 1.4 million tons. [Emphasis added]

2015 03 26: World-First Financial Analysis of World’s First Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Project

The $1.467-billion Boundary Dam Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) facility is the world’s first industrial-scale, post-combustion, CCS project. It is located outside Estevan, Saskatchewan and commenced operations in October 2014.

To date there has been no publicly-available analysis of the revenues, expenses and profitability of this project. That information is urgently needed as decision-makers in Saskatchewan and around the word, consider the relative merits of CCS for mitigating carbon dioxide emissions.

Today’s report, by Saskatchewan Community Wind, addresses that information deficit and is the first which considers the cash and, to a lesser extent, carbon flows associated with the $1.467-billion Boundary Dam Carbon Capture and Enhanced Oil Recovery Project. This report does not concern itself with the technical viability of CCS. 

Press Release-PDF (Saskatchewan media)

Backgrounder-PDF (Global media)

Executive Summary-PDF  (Findings, Recommendations & Executive Summary)

Full Report -PDF 

Our report finds that the project generates losses in excess of $1-billion for electricity consumers of Saskatchewan: they will be paying for those losses through higher electricity prices for many years to come. That this CCS project was nonetheless built may be related to the nature of the principal beneficiary: The oil industry will substantially profit from a below-cost source of carbon dioxide which it will use to increase oil production from the aging Weyburn Oil Field in Saskatchewan. [Encana/Cenvovus a major beneficiary of this huge gift from the public]

Zharrez residents protest against explosions “caused by Banker Petroleum”
by Ervin Toti, November 22, 2013, Albanian Screen

Bankers Petroleum continues to ignore claims of Zharrës area residents in Fier, who are demanding from the company to put an end to explosions at its oil wells.

Thousands of residents of the area protested by blocking the streets after a powerful explosion occurred last night.

These explosions that happen at the oil wells and which are aimed to exploit them to a maximum, have caused significant damages to the houses in the area and the residents have been calling since year for the problem to be solved.

According to local residents, an explosion was heard at 21:30 last evening and they say that it rocked the whole area.

As soon as they heard the explosion, the residents immediately left their homes fearing a collapse of the buildings.

Then, frustrated, they headed to the offices of Bankers Petroleum and held a protest there. The Prefect of Fier Xhevit Bushaj and police officials of the area immediately arrived at the scene. Prefect Bushaj said that he will ask for an investigation by relevant specialists over residents’ claims.

On its part, Bankers Petroleum has made attempts since several years to thwart the attention from the problem that plagues thousands of residents of the area, noting that the earth tremors come as a result of earthquakes.

However, this version of the company was never proven and the residents point to Bankers as the cause of the explosions.

These explosions that occur since several years have significantly damaged the houses of local residents. Albanian Screen has witnessed up close several of the damaged houses. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

2012 06 23 Truth & Consequences fracing, Shell frac'ing caused gas water geyer Tioga Co, Ernst pressentation to National Farmers Union

Slides from Ernst presentation, June 23, 2012 to National Farmers Union in Forestburg

2013 08 CNRL in Alberta, steamed bitumen leak Pic-2-Fox

Photo: Cold Lake First Nations, A fox is seen approaching an area covered in seeping bitumen.

2013 08 CNRL in Alberta, streamed bitumen breach to surface, 9-21-67-4-W4M-Picture-2

Photo: Cold Lake First Nations, A helicopter view of the impacted lake

2013, Northern Alberta: No change in ongoing bitumen leak near Cold Lake, First Nation sources say there are now six sites oozing from groundby Renée Francoeur

2014: AER, Alberta’s new energy regulator seeks the world’s trust, as Alberta’s caprock is frac’d “to Hell”

2014: CNRL reports aquifer is contaminated with BTEX 10 km from closest seepage site, How far from steam injection site?

2014: Fracing the Caprock to Hell: Athabasca Chipewyan Knew that Cracked Caprock Could Cause Bitumen Leaks in Cold Lake – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Finally Agrees

2014: Steam Injection Fracking Caused Major Alberta Bitumen Leak; Review finds fractures spread like cracks on a frozen lake, resulting in uncontrolled seepage

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