Only eligible requesters may nominate a well or facility for closure. Eligible requesters are defined in section 3.016 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules and can be summarized as follows:
- Landowners
- Council of a band as defined in the Indian Act
- Métis settlements
- Holder of a disposition under the Public Lands Administration Regulation
- Municipalities
- Government ministers
Only eligible wells and facilities may be nominated for closure. Eligibility criteria are also given in section 3.016 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules and can be summarized as follows:
- It has been inactive or abandoned for five or more years.
- It is on lands the requester has authority over (e.g., private lands for landowners, reserve lands for Indigenous requesters, etc.).
- It has not already been granted a reclamation certificate, nor is an active reclamation certificate application pending.
- It is not “reclamation exempt”