Cameron and Jane Kerr took this picture of what they said was gas bubbling from water on their Weyburn-area property. Kerr family

A study of a farm near Weyburn, Sask., has concluded that the carbon dioxide occurring in the ground there is not coming from a nearby carbon capture project.

IPAC-CO2 Research Inc., which conducted the study on the property owned by Cameron and Jane Kerr, released a report on Monday that said any CO2 that's been detected there comes from natural sources.

"Our results are conclusive and provide scientific evidence that any such incidents cannot be attributed to leakage of injected CO2 because there was no leak at the Kerr property," said Carmen Dybwad, the CEO of the Regina-based think tank.

The Kerrs had raised concerns earlier this year that CO2 injected by Cenovus Energy as part of its enhanced oil recovery project was leaking out of the soil and harming the environment.

The Kerrs supplied photographs showing dead animals and ponds with from which gas appeared to be bubbling.

Since then, several studies including one last month by Cenovus, have poured cold water on the suggestion that oilfield CO2 was the culprit.

The new study said material seen floating on the pond water was bacteria, not anything petroleum-based.

Other tests of the groundwater in the area showed it met Saskatchewan drinking water standards, the report said.

IPAC-CO2, which is the International Performance Assessment Centre for geologic storage of Carbon Dioxide, was created in 2009 with $5 million from the oil company Royal Dutch Shell, $5 million from the Saskatchewan government and $4 million from the federal government.