Environment
We recognize that the preservation of the environment and the health and safety of our employees and our neighbors are our highest priorities.
Sentinel Peak Resources is committed to operating in an environmentally conscientious way. Through innovation, thoughtful safeguards, and responsible operations, our employees are focused on minimizing our environmental impact. Our environmental goals and planning are led by our Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership, with our Environmental, Health and Safety Team, together with our Asset Team leaders, responsible for developing and implementing our programs. Our Board of Directors maintains ultimate oversight where environmental performance, including issues related to safety, carbon emissions and climate change, are discussed at Board meetings.
Our pathway to reduce our carbon footprint
Step 1: Reduced Steam
Sentinel Peak is implementing cutting-edge energy saving and smart oilfield technology to reduce our emissions. Steam generation used to recover oil accounts for 93% of our operational GHG emissions, making it our primary focus for efficiency enhancements. Company CO2 emissions have been cut by over 20% since 2019.
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- Sentinel Peak’s Intelligent Oilfield includes our machine learning and artificial
intelligence (AI) powered enhanced data management system that collects vital
reservoir performance data, allowing significant real-time optimization of
steam management operations. To date, an estimated 200,000 MT CO2e/yr of
steam reductions have been enabled through implementation of intelligent
oilfield technologies. - Fugitive emissions reductions are achieved through leak detection and repair (LDAR) and vapor recovery. We utilize portable leak detection equipment, including FLIR camera technology, to identify leaks across surface production systems. Sentinel Peak has installed both casing and tank vapor recovery systems to capture emissions from production systems.
- Sentinel Peak’s Intelligent Oilfield includes our machine learning and artificial
Step 2: Alternative Energy
Sentinel Peak utilizes renewable landfill gas to displace natural gas consumption for steam generation activities at our Arroyo Grande oilfield. Landfill gas beneficially uses a waste product and is exempt from carbon fees. We are actively assessing doubling our landfill gas utilization in Arroyo Grande.
The Company currently operates three (3) solar projects producing 6.4 MW in Belridge and Midway-Sunset (2) with an additional 1.0 MW project under construction in Lost Hills. Oilfield solar also qualifies for credits under California’s LCFS program as an “innovative crude production method.” We are also exploring the potential for solar steam, or solar PV steam to reduce our natural gas consumption.
Step 3: New technology
The adoption of new technology is a critical to component to further reduce our carbon footprint. We are actively pursuing multiple options for
reducing our emissions through the following means:
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- Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) – Sentinel Peak is exploring the potential to capture and sequester
emissions from steam generation activities either through development of a
storage site of its own, or through a partnership with a 3rd party carbon
storage company. Significant progress on both fronts was achieved during 2022
and 2023. We believe CCS offers a viable solution for safely and securely capturing and
storing CO2 emissions from our steam generation operations. - Water-Jet Oil Recovery Technology – we are piloting the use of water-jet oil recovery technology to reduce
CO2 emissions by eliminating steam generation emissions. Piloting
activities have already commenced, with additional testing planned to further
evaluate the technology and its feasibility.
- Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) – Sentinel Peak is exploring the potential to capture and sequester
Net Positive Water Impact
We recognize the importance of minimizing our water use and
impact, especially given the risks water scarcity poses to our operations and the
local communities within which we operate. Through a comprehensive conservation
program including the use of water recycling practices and reverse osmosis
technology, Sentinel Peak, following its acquisition of Seneca Resources
Company’s California assets, is on its way to returning to its status as a net
supplier of water to the State of California. As part of our efforts to
minimize freshwater use, we source over 94% of our water from non-potable
sources, including produced water from our wells.
Because of the local nature of water issues, each of our
sites develop and implement water use and mitigation plans. Where applicable,
we partner with local groups to jointly understand and manage water issues,
such as with the Central Valley Salinity Coalition.
Since acquiring our assets in 2017, Sentinel Peak has
increased recycling of produced water by a half million barrels of water per
month to 3 million barrels of water per month.
Additionally, as compared to our predecessor, we have reduced freshwater
purchases by 50%, with a 20% increase in the reuse of produced water,
preserving over 400 million gallons of fresh water annually. Further, our produced water reverse osmosis
and ultrafiltration treatment at our Arroyo Grande site discharges clean water
to Pismo Creek, benefitting aquatic life and supporting local habitat.
Sentinel Peak’s freshwater reduction success
We are focused on minimizing our effluent discharge with almost all
wastewater re-injected into our wells, including for steam generation and enhanced
oil recovery (EOR). Through these efforts, we are actively phasing out the use
of percolation ponds.
Protecting wildlife and biodiversity
Sentinel Peak is committed to protecting ecosystems and
minimizing disturbances from our operations; operating in strict compliance
with federal, state and local laws. We have robust programs to identify and safeguard
biodiversity, including sensitive and endangered species, at all of our
locations. Where we do have physical impacts, we work to mitigate them.
Additionally, we maintain approximately 1,500 acres dedicated under conservation
easements and habitat conservation plans. We conduct biodiversity impact
assessments before operating in new areas. As part of our programs, we have
engaged a consulting biologist to identify potential flora and fauna impacts. All
relevant employees, contractors and visitors receive field awareness training on
how to operate in and around protected wildlife habitat with the Company mandating
adherence to relevant policies while on our sites.
Environmental management and oversight
Sentinel Peak sustains a commitment to providing a workplace
that protects the health and safety of our employees as well as the communities
surrounding our operations. Our Environmental, Health & Safety Management
System provides the framework through which we identify, monitor and reduce our
environmental risks. The System ensures
consistent and effective environmental management throughout our operations and
promotes continuous improvement by ongoing measurement and evaluation of
performance against established standards. We strive to truly make our
standards and policies an integral part of our daily lives and our very
culture.
Key tenants of our environmental, health & safety
management framework include:
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- Environmental impact and risk identification. We seek to identify and mitigate environmental risks and considerations in our projects and daily operations.
- Goals and targets. Our executive management and EHS teams develop goals and monitor performance to help drive ambitious environmental improvement.
- Emergency response. We have established plans for identifying potential risks requiring emergency response, and guidelines for preparing, training and responding to a potential emergency. We maintain a spill management team, conduct annual spill drills including boom deployment drills with local and state agencies, provide regular employee emergency response training, and consistently engage and coordinate with communities, first responders and other relevant stakeholders.
- Employee training. All sites must provide new hire on-boarding training in our environmental programs, and a minimum of annual continual training for employees and contractors. Training includes annual HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) training; monthly safety meetings; endangered species training for new employees and project specific training; spill prevention training; annual spill drills and boom deployment; and annual field training on odor, noise, emissions and water management.
- Auditing and compliance. We check for effective compliance through periodic self-audits and annual third-party compliance audits, including regulator audits. We use the feedback gained to achieve continuous improvement.
Performance Data
