Well, What’s the Difference?
The Alberta Energy Regulator requires companies to ensure environmental and public safety of oil and gas wells and that they are responsible for the costs of cleaning up.
Wells have been on the tip of many Albertans’ tongues as of late. That’s because Alberta has a lot of them—over a century of oil and gas development in the province has given…
Tuning in to Tailings
Good to KnowVideo 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
Appealing to the Highest Power
Safety and EnforcementKeely 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
Keeping Them Swimming Upstream
EnvironmentInspecting 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
“A Giant Among Regulators”
Good to KnowDr. 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…
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A Diamond Resource in the Rough?
Good to KnowBelieve 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…
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A Remedy for Releases
EnvironmentNot so scary: bacteria can be a natural solution for cleaning oil spills
Bacteria can seem like scary stuff. Most people associate it with something that makes you sick, but there are many types of good bacteria out there, such as probiotics that…
Tag: Environment
Taking Geology to New Dimensions
TechnologyAGS’s 3D geological models help evaluate Alberta’s oil and gas resources
Geological work is much more than geoscientists wielding their rock hammers for the purpose of academic study. As the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) demonstrates, it’s also…
Tag: Technology
Part 1: “Red Glare in the Skies”
Good to KnowHow Turner Valley gas flaring ushered in an era of regulation
Turner Valley quickly became synonymous with the province’s first oil boom, attracting capital from investors hungry for easy money. But that easy money came at the price of…
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Part 2: Braced For a Fight
Good to KnowHow Turner Valley gas flaring ushered in an era of regulation
Below is an excerpt from Steward, a book published by the AER’s predecessor, the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), to mark 75 years of energy regulation in Alberta…
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The Power of Water
TechnologyWaterjet technology helps make well abandonments quicker, cheaper
Saving time? Yep. Saving money? Of course. Reducing the environmental impact? Absolutely. It's quite exciting when a technology checks all three of those boxes,…
Tag: Technology