Ministry of Natural Resources conducting gas detection surveys in and around Jarvis

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) will be conducting gas detection surveys in the Jarvis area from October 25 until the end of November as part of its Legacy Oil and Gas Wells Action Plan. Residents may see gas detection vehicles and drones in the area as the survey work is completed.

Some surveys will be conducted via detection vehicles, which will be slow moving with aerial-mounted gas detection equipment on top. Others will be conducted within the municipal right-of-way or by drone surveys collecting gas readings.

None of the survey methods will collect photographs or recognizable imagery. Based on the survey results, the MNR may contact individual landowners/occupants seeking permission to undertake additional testing on private properties.

More than half of the wells in Ontario are abandoned. There are about 6,000 known legacy oil and gas wells in both Haldimand and Norfolk counties, with 56 per cent of them in Haldimand. The province recently provided funding to municipalities – including Haldimand and Norfolk counties – to address mitigation and emergency preparedness initiatives.

Leaking wells may release hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a poisonous gas that smells like rotten eggs, and methane, an odourless and flammable gas. The health effects from breathing in these chemicals can vary depending on how much is in the air.

Anyone can look at the province’s Petroleum Well Map to find out if there is a record of a well on their property. There is an Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Library Petroleum Well Map that can be used to find more detailed records.

The following sites or signs may indicate an abandoned well: 

• Farm properties with multiple farmsteads, abandoned structures, uncultivated sites or sinking land.
• Farm areas with stunted vegetation, compacted trails, oil residue, or abandoned drilling pads.
• Patches of dead vegetation or soil staining.
• A rotten egg smell caused by hydrogen sulphide.
• Natural gas bubbling in well water.

If you smell H2S (rotten eggs) near your home and suspect a leaking gas well, immediately contact:

The Spills Action Centre: 416-325-3000 | (toll-free) 1-800-268-6060 | (TYY) 1-855-889-5775

More information about abandoned oil and gas wells is available on the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit website and via the Abandoned Works Program page at Ontario.ca. For more information on the gas detection work specifically, contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.