Technology
This Little Piggy Went to Pipeline
Pigs aren’t only found on the farm; pipeline operators use pigs to keep lines free and clear.
Everyone knows that pigs will eat anything—that’s why farmers feed them slop. Pipeline pigs are no different, except that they don’t have cute, curly tails—they will clean up anything in their path.… Read more
Some Superheroes are Automated, Not Animated
How automation is saving the day at the AER
Depositing money at the bank, checking into a flight, or placing an order at McDonalds —what doesn’t have an automated kiosk these days? Well, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) doesn’t, but it does… Read more
Emergency Response Goes Mobile in Cochrane
A synergy group helps its fire department by funding an incident command trailer.
The Town of Cochrane recently unveiled its new incident management trailer, funded by the Cochrane Pipeline Operators Committee—a synergy group that includes the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER).
A Virtual Visit to Subterranean Alberta
AGS showcases Alberta’s geology in Minecraft series
Sometimes, our best ideas come from the unlikeliest of places. For Kelsey MacCormack, director of mapping and modelling at the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS), a branch of the Alberta Energy… Read more
X Marks the Spot for a Well
Five things to know about where companies drill for oil and gas
Road trip season is upon us, which means you’ll likely be hitting the road this summer with your windows down and the radio up! If you’re driving in Alberta, you can’t help but notice the plethora of… Read more
Getting Down and Dirty for Research
AER staff slog in the muck to collect samples for study
Sometimes it’s a dirty job. Last fall, the AER and Alberta Health kicked off a study to discover what substances are present during the “flowback” phase of hydraulic fracturing operations and whether… Read more
Building it Old School: Alberta’s First Pipeline
In April 1912, construction began on the Bow Island
Today, Alberta’s oil and gas pipelines stretch over 422 000 kilometres across the province, but this wasn’t always the case. Over a century ago, Alberta’s first natural gas pipeline broke ground at… Read more
Super-Powered Backpack
Gas measuring device plays a critical role when responding to emergencies
Making the invisible visible doesn’t take superpowers. It takes the right technology. The AER uses an air-quality measuring device known as an infrared spectrometer to detect “fugitive emissions”—gas… 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
Walking the Walk, Talking the Talk
For the uninitiated, visiting a drilling rig is a learning experience
I’m from corporate. I work in the shiny head office in the shiny city of Calgary. But for three days, I traded in the business attire for the grey coveralls worn by the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (… Read more
