IN 1953, pioneers hit the jackpot when they discovered the Sturgeon Lake oilfield near Valleyview in northwestern Alberta. But today, Sturgeon only has eight producing wells left of 150 that once drained the field. It produces only 180 bbls/d with an agonizing 3,340 bbls/d of wastewater—brine that needs to be treated and re-injected at a cost that can go as high as half the cost of a barrel of oil.
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