Bird deterrent system ensures waterfowl safety


Carrie Kelly


The Horizon oilsands project is using a leading edge bird deterrent system to ensure no waterfowl get near its tailings pond, let alone ever land on it.


The Horizon oilsands wildlife management system is now an award winner after being recognized by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).


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Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., which owns and operates the Horizon Project, implemented the bird deterrent program in 2009 with the same technology developed for bird-aircraft strike prevention.


The long-range acoustic device (LRAD) uses radar technology to detect birds up to 2.8 kilometres away. The system deters the birds from landing through various types of noises and lasers.


The long-range device gathers detailed information for CNRL, including how many birds were recorded by its radar and potentially deterred from coming near the tailings pond.


LRADs are especially useful in preventing bird landings at night and in conditions of poor visibility.


“It’s an expensive process, but you have to look at how effective it is,” says Bill Clapperton, Vice President, Regulatory, Stakeholder and Environmental Affairs at CNRL.


“There wasn’t one bird fatality on the pond last year and we didn’t have to keep modifying or changing the deterrent system.”


CNRL openly shares how its system works with university researchers, the government and other oilsands companies.


“There is a real strong commitment in the area to share information with everybody,” he says.


Other deterrent efforts include erecting a fence around the tailings pond to keep animals out, removing vegetation directly around the pond and increased wildlife monitoring.


CNRL was also recognized with a CAPP President’s Award for its Septimus Electrification system, put into use in the Montney region in British Columbia.


The electrification system was built to provide energy to the company’s gas plant. Instead of


using natural gas to run the compressors, CNRL (working with BC Hydro) built a power line to connect to the grid as a way to reduce CO2 emissions.


The compressors are equipped with variable frequency drives to further reduce energy usage by allowing them to run at less than full speed when appropriate.


“This is unique. We hadn’t done it before,” says Clapperton. “It has been put into place as an opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint. It’s a higher cost, but in the long run, you have less emissions and lower operating costs.”


Canadian Natural commissioned the Septimus Gas Processing Plant in the fourth quarter of 2010. The plant is expected to run for the next 20 years.


Due to the electrification of the Septimus plant, the equivalent of 31,542 tonnes of CO2 and 77 tonnes of NOx emissions were avoided in the first year of operation.


In addition to CNRL, five other upstream oil and natural gas companies were recognized for innovative projects demonstrating leading environmental, social, and health and safety performance.


The Chair’s award was presented to Quicksilver Resources for timber utilization in northeastern British Columbia, while the Environmental Performance award went to Statoil Canada for using scat dogs to sniff out answers for environmental performance.


“The combination of leading technology and innovation, along with the creativity and perseverance of these individuals and teams, helps to elevate our overall performance as an industry,” says Dave Collyer, CAPP president.


THE WESTERN CANADIAN PIPELINE | APRIL 2012 15


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