Safety & Enforcement
Lessons The Beast Taught Us
The Fort McMurray wildfires proved that even a strong emergency respon…
The cozy smells of coffee, melted butter, and maple syrup from a Mother’s Day breakfast still wafted through the air when Colin Woods got the call. Without asking questions, the manager of the AER’s… Read more
All’s Well That Ends Well
Orphaned, abandoned, reclaimed: understanding how wells are classed
Albertans began prospecting for “black gold” more than a century ago. Years and years of drilling for oil and natural gas has resulted in more than just wealth for the province—it’s resulted in… Read more
Keeping Mischief at Bay
Protecting Alberta’s energy industry from vandalism, theft a shared re…
Alberta's energy industry spans the province; unsurprisingly, keeping Alberta's energy facilities safe is a big job-and a vital one. In January, RCMP responded to a deliberate act of vandalism… Read more
Driving Pipeline Performance
A new program launches in Alberta to improve pipeline safety
Kirk Bailey, the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) executive vice president of operations, knew that more could be done to improve pipeline safety, and that the solution wasn’t to just craft more… Read more
The Order of Things
Why following directions puts everyone ahead
What do you think of when you hear the word “order?” How about an angry army sergeant barking at new recruits? What about a friendly waitress writing down your favourite meal? No matter the scenario… Read more
Anatomy of a Blowout
A glance at the heart of an operation, and how AER keeps its finger on…
Dissecting an oil and gas operation is no small undertaking. Wells reach deep into the earth to pull out oil and natural gas. Drilling and servicing operations have many moving parts and unique… Read more
Keeping a Lid on It
Caprock is key to ensuring fluids remain underground
If you were to look at a cross section of the subsurface geology, it might resemble a multi-layered cake. But instead of icing and chocolate, you’d find mudstone, silt, and sand layers—sand layers… Read more
Seeking the Sound of Silence
AER requirements keep energy industry noise in check
If you’re in the noise business, what do you value most in your free time? Quiet. “Overall I’m a sensitive guy, and I work on noise,” Jason Cao says with a smile. “When I’m not working, I really want… Read more
A 360-Degree Perspective
“Super inspection” puts Alberta’s energy facilities to the test
It’s not “business as usual” to see 34 coverall-clad inspectors crawling over one energy site in less than a week, but it soon will be. Earlier this year, staff from three branches of the Alberta… Read more
Blast from the Past: Atlantic No. 3
This week 68 years ago, Alberta’s biggest blowout gasped its final bre…
Almost seven decades ago, a drilling rig towering high over an empty field ignited more than just the ground it stood on.
