CAPP Geomatics Committee

June 15, 2012

Dan Boudreault (Shell)On behalf of Terry Johanson

AGENDA

• Brief on CAPP and the Committee

• Update on 8 recent/current issues

• Summary

HOW CAPP COMMITTEES WORK

• CAPP Executive Policy Groups (EPGs) are authorized to strike and to dissolve CAPP committees, sub-committees, and task groups to address issues of importance to natural gas and crude oil producers.

• Committees gather information, coordinate and review analysis done by committee volunteers or CAPP staff and develop and recommend or take alternative courses of action to represent members interest, subject to the direction of and mandate given by the relevant EPG.

MANDATE

• The Geomatics Committee:

concerned with surveying, positioning, mapping, and geodetic issues

works with regulators to establish policy, and work on developing public opinion

promotes industry best practices and provides guidance materials to CAPP members

has contacts with other industry organizations

1. ALBERTA

• Lobby Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) to accept LiDAR plans of survey for disposition application – successful: Originally a pilot project Director of Survey (DOS) could review the LiDAR spec,

land surveyor methodology, and ultimately compare the remote sensing data with the conventional/GPS survey later performed.

Since the results of using LiDAR data was acceptable, under the ASRD Enhanced Approval Process (EAP), LiDAR plans of survey are accepted as normal course of business

2. ALBERTA

• Lobby ASRD against the proposed enhanced monumentation standards for LOC’s – successful : The DOS had it in his mind that all LOC’s should be

monumented with statutory iron pins, as opposed to the spikes currently used.

He felt that the standard of survey was inferior when spikes were planted and changing the monumentation would improve the survey fabric.

While he may have been correct, he could not cite examples of recent inferior survey issues

Timing/cost burden to industry was substantial if the new standard was adopted.

This was elevated to the CAPP Executive Policy Group level, and seemed to quietly disappear from the DOS agenda.

3. ALBERTA

• Lobby ASRD against the proposed inclusion of GPS location plans for disposition application – unsuccessful: Industry (mainly forestry) got the ear of the minister for

ASRD regarding costs and barriers to doing work in the province

• having to hire a ALS to prepare surveys for crown applications, when their own GIS rovers are able to survey cutblock boundaries (which are not dispositions).

The minister put pressure on the DOS to allow GPS plans of survey prepared by anyone for certain dispositions.

3. ALBERTA (cont…)

• Lobby ASRD against the proposed inclusion of GPS location plans for disposition application – unsuccessful: CAPP , along with other folks such as the ALSA , ATCO ,

was against this proposal for several reasons:• lack of standards, boundary ambiguity, boundary

retracement issues, etc. • Proposal went ahead anyway, mainly due to political

pressure.• It is believed that not many dispositions’ are being granted

using GPS location surveys to date

4. ALBERTA

• Lobby ASRD for improvements to the EAP process as it relates to Geomatics – ongoing : There are several concerns with the EAP process related to

survey and mapping. • A minor error on a survey plan causes a Crown application to be

cancelled after many months of obtaining consents and notifications to get to that stage.

• Majority of the consent/notification work has to be redone creating project delays and increased costs.

• ASRD Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) web based tool to be used for project pre-planning, which unfortunately is cumbersome and difficult to use.

CAPP would like to see ASRD release their GIS layers to industry so that we could mirror their process within our own GIS environments, or make the LAT more functional.

5. ALBERTA

• Lobby ASRD against the requirement for legal plan registration prior to pipeline construction – successful: ERCB Directive 77 was revised in Mar 2011 and

contained the following wording: “Information on specific requirements and procedures

for registering a survey plan before commencement of construction, as required in Section 4(1) of the Pipeline Regulation, and for registering the utility right-of-way can be found at www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/LandTitles.cfm and www.srd.alberta.ca/ManagingPrograms/Lands/DirectorOfSurveys/Default.aspx.”

5. ALBERTA (cont…)

• Lobby ASRD against the requirement for legal plan registration prior to pipeline construction – successful: The ALSA contacted the ERCB for clarification and were

informed that the ERCB interprets the Pipeline Regulation to mean that legal plans must be filed at Land Titles prior to construction.

When CAPP Geomatics was informed of this interpretation, we invited the ERCB to a meeting, during which we outlined to them the potential harm to industry and landowners if such an interpretation was enforced.

The ERCB reversed their stance on this issue.

6. ALBERTA

• Work with CAPP Health and Safety group to address ALSA concerns with current faller certification standards - ongoing: The ALSA recently approached CAPP Geomatics with a

concern that the current faller’s certification endorsed by CAPP is creating a situation where cutter’s may be receiving no training.

Given the logistical difficulties of scheduling a trainers time and finding an area suitable for cutting.

The ASLA is investigating the possibility of a “slashers training and certification” which would be more practical to their industry.

The CAPP Safety group would ultimately need to endorse any modified standard.

7. BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Lobby various BC governmental agencies to resolve PRB grid issues – ongoing: Developing policy with OGC, MEMPR (Tenure), and

ILMB/LTSA regarding management and distribution of spatial data

• Lobbying to have ILMB distribute various datasets (ex. cadastral base / Private and Crown delineation

DLS Peace River Block – Consistent Coordinate Database• OGC, LTSA, IHS/Industry, Legal surveyors all have

different grids• Risk of trespasses / well bore collisions• Affects Well Spacing Unit determination

8. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

• Lobby the Federal Government for resolution to the Federal Permit System grid issues - ongoing: Same old, same old Leases defined on NAD27 nominal grid NAD83 lease definitions are computed using NTv2 and

are not nominal Plans for nominal NAD83 grid still under discussions

within government (we assume)

SUMMARY

• CAPP Geomatics Committee plays a vital role to advance geomatics issues within industry

• Foster communication and cooperation between government, industry and other organizations

• Provide directives and guidelines where appropriate

• Helps to manage spatially-related risks, control costs and reduce environmental footprint (through consistency, accuracy, avoiding trespasses, shaping policy, etc.)

THANKS!

• ANY QUESTIONS?