ConocoPhillips chemical data falls short, releases same report as previously, keeps some frac chemicals secret and does not list drilling, servicing, perforating chemicals which can be more harmful

ConocoPhillips chemical data falls short by CBC News, December 2, 2013
ConocoPhillips says it has revealed every [None of the drilling and servicing chemicals are disclosed and the company’s new report includes Material Safety Data Sheets that contain proprietary or trade secrets – Refer to links and snaps below] chemical it plans to pump into two wells it will drill in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories this winter. It will be the first time horizontal drilling and fracking has been done in the Canadian North. But that doesn’t impress one local watchdog, who says the company could be hiding dangerous chemicals under general terms. “They say right off the top they are maintaining trade secrets, so what comfort does that give you that everything is being disclosed?” says Lois Little, the co-chair of the Council of Canadians’ Northwest Territories chapter. The Council of Canadians has been advocating for full disclosure of all chemicals used in fracking fluids.

Some oil companies have refused to release the chemical composition of some of the fluids they use, saying that to  do so would be giving out the secret recipes used to make the fluids. ConocoPhillips’ report to the Sahtu Land and Water Board includes a disclaimer that reads: “Where the specific identity of a chemical ingredient is considered a trade secret, a general identification… will be used.”

But ConocoPhillips says it’s not using any chemicals protected by trade secrets. Eric Hanson is supervisor of operations for the Central Mackenzie Valley. “ConocoPhillips is fully disclosing all chemicals and chemical concentrations to the Sahtu Land and Water Board.” According to the information the company released earlier this month, the fracking fluid will be 87 per cent water, but the remainder is a brew of sand and chemicals, most of them toxic. Near the top of the list of harmful chemicals is hydrochloric acid. Five thousand litres of it will be pumped down the well during each frack. ConocoPhillips plans to frack each well up to ten times this winter. … Hanson does say that the list of chemicals could change, depending on what the company encounters while drilling. [Emphasis added]

ConocoPhillips releases list of fracking chemicals but not drilling, servicing or perforating chemicals by CBC News, November 28, 2013
ConocoPhillips has released a report detailing [only the frac] chemicals it plans to use when it drills horizontal wells in the Sahtu this winter. The Chemical Risk Management Plans says that water will be mixed with sand and chemical additives. The mixture will be pumped underground at a rate of up to 10 cubic metres a minute. The report says 8,000 cubic metres of water will be used for each well. The report also lists the health and environmental risks of the chemicals that will be added to the water base. Several are listed as carcinogenic (cancer causing) and toxic to humans. Others are identified as substances that should be kept out of waterways. The report says the company plans to train workers to handle the materials. And it says there will be emergency response and spill prevention plans. Earlier this fall, the Council of Canadians asked the territorial government to investigate what chemicals ConocoPhillips planned to use. The territory declined the request. Northwest Territories’ Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger wrote a letter saying the project had already gained approvals through the regulatory review process. [Emphasis added]

ConocoPhillips November 22, 2013 NWT Frac Chemical Risk Management Report

2013 11 22 conoco phillips for NWT S13L1-004 - Figure 1 Frac chemicals to be used in the territories

2013 11 22 conoco phillips for NWT S13L1-004 - Figure 1 Contd Frac chemicals to be used in the territories

National Energy Board lets Conoco Phillips keep frac chemical secrets, screen snaps beow taken directly from the company’s report:

Portion of MSDS for corrosion inhibitor A264:

2013 Conoco Phillips Corrosion Inhibitor A264 proprietary ingredients

Portion of MSDS for Crosslinker J610:

2013 Conoco Phillips Crossliker J610 proprietary ingredients

portion of MSDS forEmulsion Preventer W063:

2013 Conoco Phillips Emulsion preventor W063

This entry was posted in Global Frac News. Bookmark the permalink.