Surprised at how long it takes to get a flood application and GPP approved? Frustrated at the additional wait time regulatory approval is adding to your exploitation plans? New software and systems can forecast and improve application approval time.

It took 10 months for the ERCB to approve industry water flood applications in July. On the other hand, the ERCB approved Proven’s applications in 4 months.

GPP applications also have long approval times because they are linked to enhanced recovery.

Proven’s software and systems allow applications to shortcut the long waits. Software includes WNP, LLM, Richter Scale and PRJViar. In addition to proprietary software, Proven’s system includes 42 strategies to avoid hold ups, reading between the lines, and up-front critical thinking.

Waiting 10 months means your project can't start until June 2011. That’s a long time to wait to inject and get GPP. Using Proven’s systems, your project could start this December.

Value driven operators know that every month they defer a value added activity, they lose 1% of their value due to the time value of money. If you must put off injection conversion, bringing new producers on line, or higher GPP rates six months while awaiting approval, you’ve lost 6% of your value. This assumes a 12% discount rate.

With oil prices over $80 per barrel, operators are searching for oil opportunities including optimizing water floods.

At the same time, Alberta’s regulator, the ERCB, is stepping up compliance monitoring of floods.

Proven has identified 34 issues that could cause your application to get stuck at the regulator. We have 42 strategies to ensure your project clears red tape in record time.

Proven’s relationship with regulators ensure your applications take advantage of regulators’ latest unwritten policies. Only half of what you need to know to have a successful application is in the guides.

Proven’s software for applications includes WNP, LLM, Richter Scale and PRJViar. The first two programs streamline application notification. The third forecasts and optimizes application approval cycle times. PRJViar produces information about ERCB unwritten policies and hidden trends.

Proven’s systems also work when submitting to BC’s OGC and Saskatchewan’s MER where application approval has recently been cut to a quarter by following Proven’s 42 strategies.

~Granger J. Low

EPAP (Enhanced Production Audit Program) is a recent Alberta government initiative to monitor oil and gas operator’s production reporting. The new Directive 076 was effective January 4, 2010.

At the end of 2010, the ERCB will require the senior executives of every oil and gas company to declare their measurement controls are in compliance.

To check the compliance, the enforcement department of the ERCB is sending a monthly compliance assessment report unearthing suspicious reporting trends. These trends include high error proration, abnormal GOR trends and rising production trends. The Board will use these reports to search for risk of noncompliant measurement practices.

When production accountants receive these monthly compliance assessment reports, they often ask the property engineers for help in answering them.

Bill Winnick is Proven Reserves’ Reservoir Engineering Supervisor and has been with Proven Reserves since 2004.

Bill has called Calgary home for over 30 years after having moved here from Edmonton where he grew up.

Bill graduated in 1981 with his degree in Petroleum Engineering from Montana Tech. Since that time he has had extensive experience in reserves determinations, property evaluations, and ERCB Guide 65 Resource applications. He has worked in both producing and consulting capacities, and has been consulting for over 15 years.

In his spare time, Bill likes to visit his cabin in Invermere where he enjoys golfing and skiing. He also likes international travel, and golfing at various famous golf destinations.

Bill says that his goals are to 'provide the best consulting services for our clients' and semi-retirement in about 10 years.

Thanks Bill!