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Stories

Celebrating Indigenous Cultures

Recognizing the history and resilience of Indigenous, First Nations, and Métis communities.
June is a special time to reflect, learn, and celebrate the strength and diversity of Indigenous Peoples.
The pond
How much do you know about the dams used in energy development?
Whether for canoeing or kayaking, ice fishing or paddle boarding, Albertans everywhere flock to the lake year-round for outdoor fitness and fun. What some don’t know is that…
Tag: Environment
Pipeline

Drilling Deeper

Technology
Five things to know about in situ oil sands development
Oil sands development conjures images of giant trucks and shovels toiling in massive, open-pit mines. The fact is, over half of the production from Alberta’s oil sands occurs…
Tag: Technology
First Oil Producing Well
In 1902, the Lineham Discovery Well No. 1 became Western Canada’s First Oil Producing Well
When driving along the scenic Akamina Parkway through Waterton Lakes National Park, it’s hard to believe early entrepreneurs struck oil in the rustic valley over a century…
Tag: Good to Know
flames
Alberta’s worst-ever well blowout was capped 35 years ago this week
On a chilly December 23, 1982, teams from Texas-based Boots & Coots and Canadian well-control specialists Safety Boss snuffed out one of the worst well blowouts in…
Tag: Safety and Enforcement
Drilling waste truck
Spraying drilling waste on fields puts dirt back to the earth from which it came
When an oil company proposed spraying drilling waste on Jeff Fluney’s fields, his response was an understandable “no.” But when the company came knocking again the next year…
Tag: Environment
Tuning in to Tailings preview image
Video gives the goods on oil sands tailings and how they’re regulated
Tailings are what remain after the oil has been removed from the oil sands ore that was scooped out of the ground. They are made up of sand, silt, clay, water, and some…
Tag: Good to Know
Inspector takes photo of the culvert
Inspecting road crossings help protect fish and their ecosystems
On the surface, it’s not always obvious how things are linked together, and solving a problem often requires looking deeper into possible connections. When it comes to…
Tag: Environment
Keely Cameron

Appealing to the Highest Power

Safety and Enforcement
Keely Cameron explains why taking the Redwater Energy case to the supreme court matters
In  May  2016,  the  Court  of  Queen’s  Bench of  Alberta decided against the AER and the Orphan Well Association (OWA) in a case that has had widespread implications on our…
Tag: Safety and Enforcement
Dr. George Govier
Dr. George Govier was an architect of energy regulation in Alberta
The Government of Alberta had had enough. In July 1938—as oil companies in the Turner Valley area of Alberta systematically flared off what then was considered worthless…
Tag: Good to Know
Diamond ring
Believe it or not, Alberta’s geology hides more than oil and gas riches
Alberta is famous for its cowboys and cowgirls, energy development, and breathtaking Rocky Mountain views. But did you know that there’s a sparkly little secret beneath our…
Tag: Good to Know