The Regulator, Then and Now

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:

Head office, Calgary. In 1938, PNCGB staff occupied space on the third floor, on the right side and at the front. Credit: Alberta Government Telephones

The PNGCB’s early fleet had a “police look and feel” for its small team of engineer-inspectors who patrolled the oilfields. Pictured above are three of the Board’s first inspectors outside the first field centre (left to right): Gorden Connell, Andy Lees, and Lloyd Publicover.

Today, the AER’s fleet boasts a number of speciality vehicles and trailers, all designed to act as an “office on wheels” for staff in the field. Pictured above are the regulator’s air monitoring unit and mobile incident command trailer.