For many, the start of a new year encourages us to reminisce about the ones gone by.
But for the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), with nearly eight decades of history, this task is easier said than done.
Though a lifetime to some, to the AER, 79 years encompasses progress, discoveries, and countless changes that have shaped and influenced the way energy resource development is regulated in Alberta.
Needless to say, as Alberta’s oil and gas industry has grown, so too has its watchdog. Here’s a snapshot of how the provincial regulator has grown since its first year:
| Then: 1938 | Now: 2017 | |
| The name | Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board (PNGCB) | Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) |
| Number of employees | 12 | 1200 |
| Areas of expertise | 1 chairman, 4 engineer-inspectors, 2 stenographers, and 1 accountant-statistician, plus 4 others. | too many to count—inspectors, technical staff, scientists, investigators, stakeholder engagement specialists, mediators, lawyers, regulatory experts, and on and on. |
| Number of field inspectors | 4 | 74 |
| Head office | Alberta Government Telephones Building, Calgary. | Centennial Place, Calgary, with regional offices in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and Slave Lake. |
| Field centre locations | 1 in the Black Diamond/Turner Valley area. | 9, in Bonnyville, Drayton Valley, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, High Level, Medicine Hat, Midnapore, Red Deer, and Wainwright. |
| Number of operating wells regulated | 294 | over 174 000 |
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