Camping near Shell Caroline Complex
 

I'm hoping someone local (or with first hand knowledge) can help me out a little bit with available Crown camping near the Shell Complex south of Caroline.

The WD and I took a drive up there on Saturday of May long weekend, hoping that I'd get an idea as to how busy it could be in there. We were on the lease/access roads West of the Shell complex but still quite a bit South East of Burntstick Lake (accessing in off of Sec Hwy 61 at the Complex). Saw only one other pickup in there, which now has me thinking that:

- Shell doesn't want anyone in there or
- We're not legally allowed in there or
- The weather just kept everyone home

The roads into that area are decent enough that I can get in there with the truck and 5th wheel and we did come across some spots that were not on pipelines and also not looking out a window at facilities.

Can anyone help out with some advice please? Or point me in a direction to continue to look for an area where I'm not going to cause grief by being there? I'm unfamiliar with that area as usually, we head South into where I know the country better. But I'd like to come North as an alternative.

Thanks,

J.

just ask shell then you will know

I think a lot of that area is covered by grazing leases. Moose Lake is in behind the plant, good fishing but no camping spots there .

Grizz

no idea why anyone would want to camp right next to such a high H2S plant, a whiff of the gas will kill you instantly, no one knows you are there, you may not know what the emergency signals are,
i am sure the plant is safe, but crap happens, i would find another place unless you have some other motive? my opinion.

Years ago went to move a service rig (Beta Well biggest double they had, old drive in Wilson) on a Kaybob N. Gas well, found two fellows (said they were hunters??) sleeping in separator shack, man were they lucky. Memories are funny but I think K North was about 23% H2S.

..600 ppm is usually enough to get the job done. If you can smell it you're still alive is the general rule but chances are you'd have a real good headache.

..

And it's those types of responses that I was looking for. All good advice, thank you. Never crossed my mind about the H2S potential.

I'll look elsewhere. I'd still like to explore Crown land, North of Calgary as we always seem to head South and I'd like to get the trailer in somewhere relatively easy (the WD would be on the hunt if I damaged it). But not looking to infringe on anyone's "personal" favorite spot.

Feel free to PM me if you could suggest a general area.

Thanks again,

J.

Honestly, the chance of an H2S leak/vent are next to nil, but I would not want to camp near a gas plant anyways.

And FTR, the EPZ (emergency planning zone ie. evac zone) radius of that plant is probably a lot larger than you think.

The plant is about done, there's talk of shutting it down, not something to lose sleep over.

Grizz

I worked at the Caroline Gas Plant back when it was being built ('89-'90). At night you could see the lights of Olds, Bowden, Innisfail, (but not Penhold), Red Deer, Spruceview and the top oh the hill at Sylvan Lake.

I remember seeing the flame from the gas explosion that occurred about 2 kms south of the plant about 25 or so years ago from our house at night. I since Google Earthed the distance as the crow flies and it came out to 50 kms. At first I thought it was a neighbour's barn on fire 3 kms away. That's how huge the flame was. It said in the paper at the time that it could be seen from certain places in Calgary.

I woke up to a strange roaring noise and had to check the clock, it was so bright and that's a good 30 km as the crow flies. I worked at the compressor stations and at the Shantz end during construction. Buddy had the contract to clean the offices there. He charged for the entire family and it wasn't small. :lol:

Grizz

I think that was Nova's line. I seem to recall it as we were building a station at Gatsby (Audrey Jensen fame) at the time.

It's not shutting in. For sale, same as Jumpingpound and Waterton, that's about it though

There is a name from the past, I remember Audrey Jenson, is she still alive?

Not sure. She would have to be awfully old.