In a statement released by HWN Energy Ltd, the company confirmed a 'well control incident,' which occurred eight kilometres north of Cochrane at 2 p.m. yesterday.
"The safety of our employees, contractors, and the local community is our top priority, and we are actively working to address the situation... The exact cause of the incident is not yet known; but, emergency services, agency officials and trained emergency response teams were immediately activated," a written statement on the company's website read.
The company noted that it has mobilized industry experts and specialized equipment to restore control of the well safely and timely while concurrently protecting the public and the environment.
"Five contractor personnel were injured in the incident, all of whom have been transported to local hospitals for assessment and treatment. As a precautionary measure, we have evacuated non-essential personnel from the immediate area and have established an exclusion zone around the site. We are in close communication with local authorities, and all necessary regulatory bodies have been informed."
The company added that it understands the local community's concerns and wants to assure the public that it is 'taking every possible measure to manage this incident effectively.'
"At this time, there is no immediate threat to nearby residents, and air quality monitoring is being conducted as a precaution. Our teams are closely monitoring the situation, and we are committed to providing regular updates as more information becomes available. The safety of our workers, community, and environment remains our top priority throughout this response effort."
Earlier this morning, The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) also commented on the incident northwest of Airdrie.
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According to an emailed statement from the AER, officials said that the organization's, 'top priority during an incident is to ensure that companies take swift and effective action to protect public safety and the environment.'
"We are currently monitoring HWN Energy's response to a release of sweet gas and a fire approximately eight kilometres north of Cochrane. Roadblocks have been established to safeguard the public and facilitate ongoing emergency operations. AER staff are at the site assessing the situation and evaluating the ongoing response efforts," AER stated.
According to HWN Energy’s website, the business is 'an oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations focused in Central and Northern Alberta.'
"We are actively growing, both through the development of our current asset base and through the potential acquisition of additional properties in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Hawthorne Energy LLC operates in Canada through our wholly-owned subsidiary HWN Energy, Ltd."
AER further added that they will maintain an on-site presence and continue communicating with HWN to ensure that public safety and environmental protection are upheld and that all regulatory requirements are met.
"Emergency response teams and local authorities including Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) are at the site," AER concluded.
In an emailed statement, provincial officials could only provide limited information because OHS is actively investigating the incident.
"It is always tragic when workers are hurt or die on the job. Our government’s goal is to have all workers return home safely after every workday. OHS is investigating an explosion at an oil and gas site near Cochrane that occurred on September 30. At least five workers were injured. As this is an active investigation, no further information will be provided by OHS at this time," the statement read.
Rocky View County officials noted late Monday evening that they had been told the fire was under control, though crews would be monitoring the situation overnight.
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