Shale gas wells drilled and fracked in Quebec continue to leak methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas. The problem is well known to the government, but it is impossible to know when it might be fixed. The closure of the wells is in fact suspended due to legal actions launched by the companies responsible for them, which are demanding hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for the end of gas exploration.
Following a request for access to information, The duty was able to obtain inspection reports as well as the most recent data from the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) concerning leaks from the 18 shale gas wells that were drilled and fractured around 15 years ago.
Even though they essentially have a “temporary closure” status, all of these exploration wells will have to be closed permanently, since the Quebec government has banned the exploitation of shale gas.
However, not only are these wells still not closed, but they are leaking methane. Analysis of the inspection reports obtained from the MEIE shows that several have been experiencing significant leaks for years of this greenhouse gas, which has a global warming effect 28 times greater than CO₂, or even 80 times greater over a period of 20 years. The ministry’s data now estimates the volume of daily leaks at 122 m³, or approximately 45,000 m³ of natural gas per year.
The duty submitted these figures to Pierre-Olivier Pineau, Chair of Energy Sector Management at HEC Montréal. According to his calculations, these leaks are equivalent to 2.39 tonnes of CO₂ per day, almost as much as the annual emissions of a car. For the year, we are talking about a little less than 900 tonnes of greenhouse gases, or the equivalent of about 315 cars.
“Fire hazard”
These leaks are mainly due to 8 wells that were drilled by an industry that had ambitions to drill more than 20,000 in the St. Lawrence Valley.
The most problematic well was drilled and fractured by Talisman Energy, an Alberta company that no longer exists since its acquisition by the multinational Repsol. This single well, located in La Visitation, leaks nearly 17,000 m³ of methane into the atmosphere each year. As early as 2010, “gas emissions” were measured at 49 m³ per day by government inspectors, and they continued even after “well repair” work.
Another well drilled by Talisman Energy, this time in Saint-Édouard, in Montérégie, also experienced leaks as early as 2010. In a 2019 report, the MEIE inspector again noted significant problems: “There is a gas migration that represents a fire risk or another risk to the safety of people and property, and to the protection of the environment,” he wrote in his report. Daily leaks have since increased and have been observed at the wellhead, but also around it. They are now estimated at 36 m³ per day, or more than 13,000 m³ of methane per year.
A well drilled by Gastem in Saint-Louis-de-Richelieu, very close to a residential area, had “low emissions” in 2010 and these had not been measured at the time. But during an inspection carried out in 2021, the inspector found a significant gas leak, while also noting a “gas emanation from a well that represents a risk to the health or safety of people or to the safety of property”. Today, this well leaks approximately 10,000 m³ of gas each year.
A closure at what price?
A member of the Scientific Collective on the Question of Shale Gas and Energy Issues in Quebec, Marc Brullemans is not surprised by the figures in the MEIE documents. “Barely a year or two after the start of discussions on shale gas, therefore, as early as 2011, we had already established that at least a third of the wells were leaking,” he emphasizes. “And I don’t see why the leaks would stop by themselves.”
According to Mr. Brullemans, the ministry’s data does not, however, take the full measure of actual methane leaks, since the assessments are made at the vent of the well, while leaks resulting from fracturing can also occur all around. In some cases, the horizontal portion of the well, which has been fractured, can measure several hundred metres.
The person who has been monitoring the situation of these wells for several years is also concerned about what will happen next. “As time goes by, I see two main problems as a citizen of Quebec. There are of course the leaks that continue, with the risks of pollution. But there is also an issue regarding the costs of stopping the leaks and closing the wells.”
The MEIE, which initially refused to send us the document on the volume of leaks, wants to be reassuring. By email, it reiterates that the amount planned for the closure of all the wells that are not yet closed, i.e. 62 wells, including the shale gas wells, is 33 million dollars. The ministry also has in hand the closure plans of the people responsible for these wells. “The measures included in these plans to remedy these leaks will be implemented when they are finally closed,” it specifies.
But, adds the MEIE, the closure work is currently “suspended” due to legal actions launched against the government. At present, 13 lawsuits have been filed by companies that held oil and gas exploration permits in Quebec and who consider that the $62 million in public funds planned as compensation is clearly insufficient.
They are claiming several hundred million dollars in total, arguing that the rejection of the exploration projects amounts to a form of expropriation. Several are also contesting the constitutionality of the legislation that put an end to this controversial sector.