A natural gas well near Saamis Rotary Park playground (pictured) is among four wells in Medicine Hat city parks that will be permanently closed in with work beginning next week. - News Photo Collin Gallant
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Urban gas wells in four city parks will be permanently closed starting Monday with heavy equipment and crews working in southside residential areas.
Energy division outlined the announcement at Thursday’s committee meeting, and a release on Friday provided further details.
The wells are located in Somerset and Chartwell parks (in the Southlands community), Spruce Park (the Hamptons) and Saamis Rotary Park in Saamis Heights.
Eventually the land included required set backs will be returned to a park-like setting and remain public land.
Downhole work at all sites should be completed by the end of next week, but will require heavy equipment to be on-site while work is being completed. That could lead to traffic disruptions in some areas.
Officials advise residents and motorists to be aware while work is proceeding.
Other work, such as removing the surface infrastructure and landscaping will be done at later dates.
Of the city’s 3,500 wells, downhole abandonment has occurred on 2,400, with another 450 inactive and slated to be abandoned.
The natural gas and petroleum resource office states that between 650 to 700 oil and gas wells will remain in operation once the accelerated abandonment program, announced in 2019, is complete.
