NorthAmOil: 'Zombie fires' still smoulder near oil and gas wells in western Canada

Smouldering fires left from last year’s devastating wildfires are threatening western Canada’s oil and gas wells.

In fact, they could knock out almost 3% of the country’s natural gas production, reports Bloomberg.

As many as 50 ‘zombie fires’ are still burning beneath the snow near wells, according to government data analysed by Bloomberg. Those sites yield gas that is equivalent to around 80,000 barrels per day of oil in Alberta, as well as nearly 14,000 bpd of crude, estimates the news service.

Assets of Tourmaline Oil, Canada’s largest gas driller, as well as Cenovus Energy and Paramount Resources are most at risk. Westbrick Energy, which is closely held, could also be threatened.

This is the legacy of the country’s worst-ever wildfire season in 2023. More than 65% of Canada is abnormally dry or in drought as of the end of March, said Bloomberg, so another disastrous fire season is becoming more likely.

In fact Alberta, Canada’s oilpatch declared the beginning of its fire season on February 20 of this year, the earliest in years. This could add new fires to the smouldering zombies, or make zombies grow larger.

Zombie fires can burn in peat under the surface. They are not generally as dangerous as new fires, but they are problematic, Alberta Wildfire spokeswoman Josee St-Onge told Bloomberg.