Fort St. John, B.C. - Geoscience BC, has launched the $950,000 Phase 1 Montney Water Project.

This project will create a data baseline of water resources in the Montney Shale Gas Play area in northeastern B.C..

 

Natural gas producers developing the Montney Shale Gas Play require water for hydraulic fracturing operations to stimulate natural gas production and support drilling camps and infrastructure development. 

 

Other commercial uses include agriculture, forestry and mining operations. 

 

A wide range of stakeholders including provincial ministries and agencies, local governments, commercial water users and First Nations, as well as the general public, need detailed and unbiased information about existing water resources to make appropriate policies, regulations and permit decisions as well as to support public discussion on issues related to water use.

 

Phase I of the Montney Water Project will  create a comprehensive database of surface water, ground water (less than 250 metres deep) and deep saline aquifers in the Montney area.  Phase I, to be completed over the next nine months, will focus on collecting, analyzing and interpreting all available water information. 

 

A key component of Phase I will be a detailed analysis of non-potable deep saline aquifers, which may significantly reduce the need for surface and ground water for natural gas development and provide a water source that is too saline for other uses such as residential water supply and agricultural operations. 

 

Data compiled for the project will be made publicly available. If required, a second phase of the study will focus research on addressing any remaining data gaps.