Balancing production demands with evolving environmental regulations is a constant challenge in the energy sector. Vertex supports clients by maximizing operational efficiency and reliability while ensuring regulatory compliance and reducing downtime associated with cleaning, testing, and maintenance activities.
From early pre development through exploration and production, and through to decommissioning and reclamation, Vertex works alongside your team at every stage of the project lifecycle. Our experienced professionals support both conventional and unconventional energy developments, applying industry leading techniques and equipment to keep projects compliant, on schedule, and within budget.
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Conventional
Vertex brings extensive experience supporting conventional oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids projects. Our skilled professionals use modern, advanced tools and proven methodologies to help clients maintain compliance while managing costs and project timelines effectively.
Vertex Conventional Energy Services include:
- Project management
- Planning and route selection
- Negotiation, acquisition, and administration
- Conflict resolution and mediation
- ADR and Surface Rights Board representation
- Damage settlements and rent reviews
- Public notification and consultation
- Indigenous consultation, administration and field services
- Crown land acquisition services
- EAP site assessment and supplement completion
- EFR site assessment and supplement completion
- Aquatics and watercourse crossing assessments
- Wildlife sweeps and surveys
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Oil Sands
Oil sands development attracts significant stakeholder and regulatory oversight, requiring a deep understanding of compliance requirements, operational standards, and safe work practices. Vertex supports SAGD, in situ, and mining projects with integrated environmental and industrial services that promote safe, efficient operations.
Throughout the project lifecycle, Vertex develops tailored solutions to meet your operational needs. We help clients maintain production while meeting environmental protection mandates, maximizing uptime, and minimizing downtime related to cleaning and maintenance activities.
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Petro Chemical
Vertex partners with your team to reduce downtime while ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient facility operations. Whether your project is in construction, active operation, maintenance or turnaround, or decommissioning, Vertex provides a comprehensive range of services to support your objectives.
With experienced industrial cleaning operators and environmental, safety, and construction professionals, Vertex can act as a single source contractor during facility turnarounds or maintenance projects. We also provide trained on site rescue professionals, supporting high angle and confined space assessments and rescue planning requirements.
Case Studies
Optimized Logistics for NGL Transport During Pipeline Interruption
Objective
During a planned pipeline interruption, the Vertex Grande Prairie branch was tasked with supplying trucking of NGL products to various alternate delivery points.
Key Issues Identified:
- Logistical Coordination: Ensuring seamless coordination between Vertex branches and external carriers to meet the client’s delivery requirements.
- Timely Execution: Adhering to a strict timeline to prevent production curtailment at affected plants.
- Safety Concerns: Managing the risks associated with transporting NGL products to prevent safety incidents.
Robotic Rover Tank Cleaning
Objective
Vertex’s client had requested a complete internal tank cleaning . Upon initiating the cleaning process, it became evident that the tank emitted dangerously high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These VOCs posed a significant risk to workers entering the tank, complicating efforts to maintain safe working conditions for confined space entry.
KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED:
- High VOC Emissions: Significant off-gassing during cleaning, leading to elevated VOC levels.
- Safety Concerns: High VOCs created hazardous conditions for tank entry.
- Ventilation Challenges: Frequent depletion of organic media scrubbers due to high VOC levels.
- Cost Implications: Substantial daily accrued costs from replacing scrubber cartridges.
Reclamation Certification Using Disturbance Recovery Models and Remote Sensing
Objective
Providing practical and economical solutions is one of Vertex’s commitments to our clients. Conventional reclamation assessment of oil sand exploration well/corehole programs requires field assessments of all associated well sites and access roads. These field assessments have a high cost and environmental impact and are often highly subjective. Vertex’s Research and Development, Operations and Remote Sensing teams worked collaboratively to develop a remote sensing approach combined with disturbance recovery models to overcome these limitations. The approach utilizes remote sensing data and ecological resiliency factors to rank the well sites and access roads, and only sites with reduced recovery/resiliency are field assessed. Between 2021 and 2022, Vertex used this approach for Imperial Oil and received a reclamation certificate for a 29-site oil sands exploration program.
Pipeline Integrity: System-Wide Geohazards Risk Assessment
Objective
An Integrity Management Program (IMP) related bulletin was issued by Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) in 2019 to mandate the management of slope instability through IMPs. The objective of the project was to develop and enhance the client’s Geohazards IMP using a phased approach to be compliant with AER’s bulletin. A system-wide GIS-based assessment was carried out to identify potentially high-risk assets based on landslide susceptibility, age of the pipeline, and substance carried.
Regulatory Amendment Oil Sands Mine
Objective
The client was seeking regulatory approval for an increase in project development area to allow future placement of overburden, reclamation material stockpiles, and associated facilities outside the currently approved operating area at a large oil sands mine in northern Alberta.
Integrated Linear Project Execution (Land, Consultation, Environment)
Objective
Vertex was engaged by a midstream company to complete the following scope of work on a 50km Midstream Pipeline & Sour Gas Plant: Acquire all surface land approvals (Crown and Freehold), complete all required stakeholder consultation required for project & post-construction land owner signoff’s, Acquire all environmental approvals (EPEA, Water Act, Public Lands Act) for pipeline and proposed sour gas plant, Complete Environmental inspection during project construction including, General environmental inspection services, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) environmental monitoring, & Monitoring of ongoing reclamation activities
Geothermal Power Generation
Objective
Vertex’s confidential client is in the planning and scoping stage of a deep-well geothermal project. This project would see water (under pressure) more than 180 deg. C (300 deg. F) brought to surface for use in a steam turbine power generator. The thermal expansion effects on the casing, surface casing, cementing, and wellhead are significant and require specialized software and knowledge to properly design
Reclamation of Exploration Wells
Objective
An oil and gas producer with operations in the oil sands region requested closure on over 400 oil sands exploration wells. Vertex and its Indigenous partner Acden were retained to assist in the management of the reclamation and assessment program. Vertex's role was to manage and execute all assessment and reclamation work in order to obtain regulatory closure on the sites.
