Oil & Gas – Page 7

By: Drew Yewchuk

Regulatory Change Commented On: The AER’s Inventory Reduction Program

PDF Version: The AER Quietly Implemented a Two-Tier Mandatory Closure Spend Target

Starting in mid-2021, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) adopted a new liability management framework to address the problems of inactive conventional oil and gas assets. The new liability management framework includes mandatory closure spend targets, a requirement for companies to spend a certain amount on closure work each year. The mandatory closure spend targets deal with the liabilities of inactive assets and not orphan assets (it is not to be confused with the orphan fund levy, used to fund the Orphan Well Association that abandons and remediates wells with owners that went bankrupt).

The Sequoia Bankruptcy Part 4: Costs Lost in Time and Perpetual’s New Subsidiary

By Drew Yewchuk

On September 21, 2022

In Oil & Gas

By: Drew Yewchuk

Cases Commented on: PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc v Perpetual Energy Inc, 2022 ABQB 592

PDF Version: The Sequoia Bankruptcy Part 4: Costs Lost in Time and Perpetual’s New Subsidiary

This is part 4 of a series on the litigation resulting from the Bankruptcy of Sequoia Resources Corp. (Sequoia). Part 1 covered the first application for summary dismissal and an application to intervene. Part 2 covered a costs decision against the trustee and the appeal of the first summary dismissal. Part 3 covered interlocutory decisions and the appeal of the second summary dismissal decision.

The Alberta Energy Regulator Enforces New Licensee Capability Assessment and Restricts License Eligibility of AlphaBow

By Drew Yewchuk

On August 17, 2022

In Oil & Gas

By: Drew Yewchuk

AER Administrative Sanction Commented On: 202207-13, AlphaBow Energy Ltd.

PDF Version: The Alberta Energy Regulator Enforces New Licensee Capability Assessment and Restricts License Eligibility of AlphaBow

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) issued an administrative sanction to AlphaBow Energy Ltd. on July 28, 2022. Two aspects of the sanction make this an interesting case rather than a routine enforcement action: first, the history of AlphaBow, and second, that the administrative sanction is the AER implementing their new approach to liability management, so the terms and the ultimate outcome of this administrative sanction are a decent indication of things to come.

Alberta’s Orphan and Unreclaimed Oil and Gas Assets in July 2022

By Drew Yewchuk

On July 16, 2022

In Oil & Gas

By: Drew Yewchuk

Annual Report Commented On: Orphan Well Association Annual Report 2021/2022; AER Bulletin 2022-23 Mandatory Closure Spend Target Set for 2023

PDF Version: Alberta’s Orphan and Unreclaimed Oil and Gas Assets in July 2022

The Orphan Well Association (OWA) released their annual report for 2021/2022 this month, and the AER posted Bulletin 2022-23 updating the mandatory closure spend targets. This post discusses these two documents and describes the current state of Alberta’s orphan and inactive oil and gas assets. For greater background on the OWA and the history of the problem, see here.

Procedural Fairness When Challenging Timeline Extensions for Freedom of Information Requests

By Drew Yewchuk

On May 2, 2022

In Energy, Oil & Gas, Privacy, Uncategorized

By: Drew Yewchuk

Decision Commented On: Re Energy, Order F2022-20, 2022 CanLII 29391 (AB OIPC)

PDF Version: Procedural Fairness When Challenging Timeline Extensions For Freedom of Information Requests

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) Order F2022-20 shows how easy it is for public bodies to drag the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSA 2000, c F-25 (FOIP) process out to prevent timely transparency, even where there is little or no plausible justification for the public body to withhold records.

F2022-20 relates to the same FOIP request as Blades v Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2021 ABQB 725 (CanLII) (Blades), a decision I wrote about here. The request in question is an attempt to get government records explaining the Alberta government’s decision to revoke the 1976 Coal Development Policy for Alberta.

Category: Oil & Gas Page 7 of 54

The AER Quietly Implemented a Two-Tier Mandatory Closure Spend Target

The Sequoia Bankruptcy Part 4: Costs Lost in Time and Perpetual’s New Subsidiary

The Alberta Energy Regulator Enforces New Licensee Capability Assessment and Restricts License Eligibility of AlphaBow

Alberta’s Orphan and Unreclaimed Oil and Gas Assets in July 2022

Procedural Fairness When Challenging Timeline Extensions for Freedom of Information Requests