Environmental initiatives

Respect & Protect the environment

At Tundra, we take our responsibility to minimize impacts to our air, land and water resources seriously. We are committed to finding innovative and integrated solutions to deliver energy that fuels the lives of Canadians.

With the development of new technologies, our wells and facilities are constantly updated. Old facilities have been decommissioned and/or reclaimed. New larger facilities have been constructed to minimize waste gas production, enhance spill prevention methods, and reduce energy consumption. We also promote recycling efforts at all of our facilities and continue to make energy-efficient upgrades.

Advancements in horizontal well technology have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of surface locations. Other initiatives such as minimal surface disturbance for drilling locations has also reduced our environmental footprint.

Tundra is committed to abandoning and restoring of oil facilities that are at the end of their life cycle. Tundra strives to rehabilitate these lands so that growth of our impacted areas is similar to the growth of the surrounding areas.

Engagement of the landowners in this process is important for the success of our program.

Tundra constantly monitors and reviews our operations so that we can reduce and/or eliminate any release of fluids.

In the event of a spill, Tundra takes an aggressive approach to spill-response and clean-up. It is our directive to focus on a more exhaustive clean-up policy in order to reduce the impact that spills have on our environment.

We implemented a new Pipeline Integrity Management System (PIMS) which focuses on proper installation and operation standards. This initiative is to help with the integrity of underground facilities and to minimize any potential environmental concerns.

With the risk of environmental damage from spills, it is important that pipeline operators have a leak detection system they can rely on. Our investment in the Atmos Leak Detection System means we can monitor the line pressure and the amount of fluid in each section of pipe, allowing us to quickly identify any leaks in our flowline infrastructure.

Tundra's conservation efforts include:

Converting solution gas into consumable energy;

Completing pre-disturbance site assessments which assist in developing baseline environmental information prior to beginning construction;

Initiating a residential water well monitoring program to track and record the state of fresh water sources in areas of our operation. This program helps establish base line analytics of water wells;

Maintaining low disturbance flow line installation (plow and bore) and minimal disturbance drill site preparation in certain applications allows us to minimize our environmental footprint;

Recycling and reusing drilling mud which reduces the amount of fresh water used in operations; and installing flowlines to transport oil and water to reduce road damage and pollution associated with trucking; and

Tundra is also an active member of the Manitoba Producers Oil Spill Co-op, which provides equipment and training to assist in the event of a spill.

Monitoring air quality and using new technologies to reduce the amount of gas vented or flared is important to Tundra.

In fact, Tundra Oil & Gas has partnered with Manitoba Hydro to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Rather than having low quality solution gas flared into the atmosphere, Tundra is able to convert this gas into electricity through the use of microturbines.

You can learn more about our partnership with Manitoba Hydro here.

Ducks Unlimited Canada

In 2009, Tundra Oil & Gas partnered with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) to support conservation projects through the Richardson Foundation. Seven years later, our partnership is still going strong. Together, we are working toward keeping wetlands alive.

Tundra and DUC work together to put in place restoration and rehabilitation policies to correct the land after use. We also develop ways to efficiently use the land by practicing horizontal drilling, which enables rigs to avoid sensitive areas such as wetlands.

In the summer of 2012, Tundra unveiled the new Sustainable Land Use Centre near Deloraine, MB. The centre has various information stations spread out across the area for visitors to learn about the positive steps we take to improve our land use practices.

In 2014, we continued our support for DUC initiatives through a new five-year grant. In support of the new Williston Basin Watershed Conservation Initiative, Tundra Oil & Gas through The Richardson Foundation consolidated a number of conservation activities under one umbrella, building upon The Foundation’s past contributions, which permanently protected prairie landscapes in southwestern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan where the interests and operations of DUC and Tundra overlap.

This initiative allows DUC staff to engage with Tundra’s field staff to provide conservation solutions and alternatives to landowner partners facing environmental challenges on their land.

By working together we demonstrate that conservation and restoration of wetlands and uplands is a viable option with reduced disturbance to the environment.