CALGARY – The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has turned over all remaining energy assets for Long Run Exploration Ltd. (Long Run) in Alberta to the Orphan Well Association (OWA) to complete closure work.
The company filed for receivership March 5, 2025, and as of April 7, 2026, the receiver filed a limited discharge certificate to confirm it is no longer in control of the sites, which are primarily gas-weighted with some light-medium crude oil production.
The AER has issued a reasonable care and measures (RCAM) order, and an abandonment and reclamation order, both on April 7, 2026 which directs and enables the OWA to provide care over Long Run’s 4,031 wells, 383 facilities, 2,121 pipeline segments and 38 pipeline installations. These sites are now designated as orphans, and the OWA is directed to complete abandonment and reclamation on the sites.
These actions ensure that the discharged sites are closed and reclaimed in a safe, efficient, and orderly manner. These activities are industry funded through the OWA’s operating budget and the orphan fund levy.
The orphan fund levy for the 2026/27 fiscal year is $154.56 million, an increase from the previous year’s levy of $144.45 million. The calculation for the levy is outlined in Part 16.5 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules. The levy amount was endorsed by the Government of Alberta as part of the overall budget.
Abandonment, per section 1(1) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act (OGCA), means the permanent dismantlement of a well or facility in the manner prescribed by the regulations or rules and includes any measures required to ensure that the well or facility is left in a permanently safe and secure condition.
Reclamation is the process by which a company returns the land back to its original state or similar prior to development taking place.
To learn more about reasonable care and measures orders, and orders for abandonment and reclamation, see aer.ca.
About the Alberta Energy Regulator
The AER ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources in Alberta through our regulatory activities.
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