The municipal planning commission will offer no objection to a pair oil wells to be drilled just outside city boundaries.
Calgary-based Conserve Oil and Gas No. II Corp. will horizontally drill the two sour oil wells and connect to existing pipelines.
One well is about two km north of the city boundary and the other is 1.5 km east.
Although they are in Red Deer County, the city was asked to review the application because it is in a future growth area.
The northern well is in an area designated for a future park in city plans and the other is in an area not expected to be developed for at least 25 years.
Jim Benum, oil and gas liaison officer with Parkland Community Planning Services, said the wells contain low volumes and concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. The radius of the emergency planning zone extends 70 metres from the centre of each well.
The wells are part of Conserve’s plan to accelerate the depletion of oil and gas reserves in the Joffre field next to the city ahead of development.