Picture of Rush Lake 2 facility on July 17, 2025. (Anonymous/Facebook)

By Austin Mattes

Uncontrolled Well Release

Cenovus making progress as vapour cloud diminishes from Rush Lake 2 well release

Jul 17, 2025 | 5:42 PM

A large vapour cloud that has been billowing from Cenovus Energy’s Rush Lake 2 facility for over two months appears to have dissipated, offering the first glimmer of progress since the uncontrolled release began on May 7.

Cenovus confirmed the development to battlefordsNOW, stating that the work they’re doing to resolve the well issue “has resulted in a reduction of the vapour cloud on site.” While the company has not declared the incident fully resolved, it emphasized that operations to control the well are ongoing.

“We are closely monitoring the work that has been done to date, and activity is ongoing. We will update the public once our well control program is completed and confirm it’s resolved,” Cenovus said in the statement.

Picture of Rush Lake 2 facility posted on July 10, 2025, showing a large vapour cloud. (Anonymous/Facebook)

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The uncontrolled release originated from an 8-year-old well pad installed in 2018 at the Rush Lake 2 thermal facility near Lloydminster. Since the incident began, Cenovus has shut down both its Rush Lake 1 and Rush Lake 2 operations “for the foreseeable future” as the company works to contain the issue and investigate the suspected cause, a failure in the well casing.

For nearby residents, the sight of the vapour cloud fading may bring some relief, but concerns remain. Since the early days of the release, community members have raised alarms about symptoms including headaches and dizziness, believed to be associated with hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) emissions escaping from the site.

Cenovus has repeatedly stated that while the vapour contained H₂S, air monitoring around the site has not shown levels that would pose a health risk. Senior operations manager Clayton Ulrich previously explained that the release of “muddy, silty water” from the site can trap vapour molecules containing H₂S, which results in the strong odour many in the community have reported.

Despite the company’s reassurances, unease remains among some residents who continue to demand greater transparency about long-term health and environmental impacts. Cenovus said it is continuing to communicate with affected community members and “sincerely apologizes for the impact it has had on the communities.”

The company has kept a dedicated response line active for residents seeking information:1-877-697-4480.

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austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes