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Bulletin 2021-04

Update to Survey and Mapping Requirements

Release Date

 

Changes have been made to the Pipeline Rules and the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules (OGCR) that affect survey and mapping requirements.

Section 4(1) of the Pipeline Rules was amended to remove the requirement to survey "before the commencement of construction." Pipelines must still be surveyed within the timeframe given in the pipeline approval.

Section 2.020(3)(c)(i) of the OGCR has been repealed, meaning applicants are no longer required to submit the elevation of the corners of the well surface lease. However, this section still requires operators to provide the elevation of significant water bodies, the topographic and drainage patterns, and the general spatial and topographic information. A corresponding change has been made to rescind requirement 16(g)(i) in section 7 of Directive 056. We have also rescinded requirement 18 in section 7. Survey plans based solely on remotely sensed, three-dimensional survey data (like LiDAR) are not acceptable. Though these data can certainly still be used to support a survey plan.

Additional amendments to Directive 056 have been made as part of our contributions towards the Government of Alberta's Red Tape Reduction Act. Please refer to Bulletin 2020-07 and the directive's "What's New" section for further information.

The updated edition of Directive 056 is available on the AER website, www.aer.ca. For more information, contact our Customer Contact Centre by phone at 403-297-8311 (1-855-297-8311 toll free) or by email at inquiries@aer.ca.