All Stories
Keeping an Eye on Emissions
Five things to know about this year’s flaring and venting report
Every year, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) publishes facts and figures about who is flaring and venting gas in the province.
Eye in the Sky
How the AER is using drones to inspect oil and gas sites
It’s a bird, it’s a plane. Nope, it’s a drone. Aerial monitoring technology has changed the way the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) monitors oil and gas facilities for the better. It saves thousands… Read more
Picking Up What’s Been Thrown Out
When it comes to imported waste, one company’s trash is another company’s treasure
Imagine this: you’re walking down the street, tearing open your favourite candy bar. You eat the candy bar. What happens next?
Prospecting for Black Gold
Energy companies drill—not dig—to unearth hidden treasures
Any movie buff can tell you that a successful treasure hunt ends with a stash of jewels and artifacts—bonus points if it’s tucked away in an ancient tomb. In Alberta’s countryside, however, a… Read more
Our Mandate Through a Different Lens
The AER’s mandate can be understood through written word and through the lens of a traditional indigenous oral system.
We tend to think of a mandate as a string of words—a linear idea, maybe one that’s a little vowel-heavy. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has something like that: our mandate is to ensure the… Read more
University of Calgary Researchers Eye Up Oil Patch Emissions
Work is being done to reduce methane emissions produced by the oil and gas industry, but first we need to know how much is emitted.
Governments and companies around the world are pledging to reduce methane emissions, especially greenhouse-gas emissions emitted by the upstream petroleum industry.
Our Own Best Customer
Alberta is building a domestic market for its natural gas
Buying local is never a bad idea, and one that Alberta natural-gas end users are taking to heart.
Facing the Liability Challenge in Alberta
A few months ago, Sequoia Resource Corp. told the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) that it would stop operations without properly decommissioning more than 4000 wells, pipelines, and facilities,… Read more
“A Giant Among Regulators”
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 natural gas at alarming rates… Read more
A Tale as Old as Time
Artist tells the story of oil and gas development through embroidery
Most of us know at least some of the story of oil and gas development, and how vital it has become to our existence.
