Federal Regulations
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) regulations are designed for all of Canada (including offshore), whereas the AER’s requirements are for Alberta only.
Please contact Alberta Energy for questions about how our provincial requirements relate to the federal ones. (Select "General Inquiries,” then “Oil, Gas, Electricity.”)
Cost
We used extensive modelling to inform the regulatory design in order to minimize the economic impact of the requirements. Please contact Alberta Energy for questions related to costs.
Government of Alberta Offset Program
The Government of Alberta has implemented a program for projects that voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to generate emission offsets under the Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction (TIER) Implementation Act. For more information, please visit Alberta Energy and Parks’ website.
Scope of the Requirements
The new requirements apply to AER-regulated
- upstream oil, gas and bitumen wells,
- oil and gas facilities,
- gas plants,
- pipeline installations,
- storage facilities, and
- tank terminals (i.e., production and injection wells, batteries, and central processing facilities within thermal in situ oil sands schemes)
The new requirements do not apply to the following:
- AER-regulated facilities that are not related to oil, gas or bitumen production (such as coal, shallow water wells, brine wells, NEB regulated facilities, midstream meter stations, or midstream pipelines),
- oil sands mining schemes,
- processing plants for removing bitumen from oil sands at mines including upgraders,
- refineries,
- rail car loading facilities,
- downstream distribution pipelines, and
- downstream facilities.
Measurement System
With financial support from Natural Resources Canada, we have further developed our OneStop platform to include methane emissions reporting.
Measurement, monitoring, and reporting are important elements of the new requirements. Improved reporting and measurement will help to better quantify and track Alberta’s progress towards methane emissions reduction.
Regulatory Review
The AER has committed to reviewing the methane requirements in 2022. We will look at how efficiently and effectively the requirements are in reducing emissions and whether any new operational or technological developments should be incorporated. The measurement system will allow us to track our progress towards the 45 per cent target. We will also continue to advance research and development programs intended to improve emissions quantification and reduction technologies.
The review is planned for 2022, which is when we will have enough reported emissions data to update our model and most of our research programs will be complete.
Compliance Assurance
To determine compliance with the new requirements, the AER will use a variety of tools, including data audits, facility inspections, and regional surveys.
Noncompliances will be dealt with in accordance with Manual 013: Compliance and Enforcement Program and may include enforcement tools ranging from warnings and administrative penalties to orders imposing conditions and prosecution.