Cenovus dealing with uncontrolled release at oil well near Lloydminster
Incident happened at Rush Lake 2 thermal facility
Cenovus Energy is dealing with an uncontrolled release at one of its heavy oil sites, the Rush Lake 2 facility, roughly 80 kilometres southeast of Lloydminster.
In a statement Monday afternoon, the company said berms are in place for containment.
There was a visible plume in the area, but the company said it was comprised primarily of water vapour.
Cenovus said it has been injecting water into the well to bring the release under control, which has resulted in increased odour.
The Rush Lake 2 site is a thermal heavy oil project, which involves injecting steam underground to heat and lower the viscosity of oil, making it easier to extract.
The company is not saying what caused the release, when it started, or how long cleanup will take.
The statement said Cenovus has been updating people in the area and monitoring air quality.
The company did not make anyone available for an interview.