Orphan Wells

• Unpaid oil and gas taxes causing concern for rural Alberta municipalities

  Over $250 million in oil and gas taxes have gone unpaid over the last half decade in Alberta, leaving rural municipalities hanging.

  Economy

  Sep 19
  
• Public money could help finance Alberta oil and gas site cleanups: Energy minister

  The issue of how to fund cleanups at a time when conventional oil and gas is declining has brought the Alberta government into conflict with landowners and rural municipalities.

  Environment

  Sep 16
  
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• No takers for Alberta program offering partial credit for partial oil and gas well cleanup

  Daryl Bennett of the Alberta Surface Rights Federation said the program could reduce payments to owners while leaving the worst environmental liabilities on their land untouched.

  Environment

  Sep 6
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• First Nations want feds to let them use oil and gas cleanup funds not spent by Alberta government

  The First Nation chiefs spoke at a news conference west of Edmonton on Monday.

  Environment

  Mar 11
• Panel upholds Alberta regulator’s orders against embattled energy company

  An order issued in March 2023 called for AlphaBow to demonstrate reasonable care and measures at its sites.

  Canada

  Feb 29
• Alberta energy company fights regulator over seizure of thousands of wells

  AlphaBow is pushing back over the Alberta Energy Regulator transferring control of more than 6,000 wells, pipeline segments and other facilities to the Orphan Well Association.

  Canada

  Sep 28, 2023
• Alberta premier addresses rural municipalities’ concerns over back taxes, oil well cleanup

  Premier Danielle Smith said Wednesday the province is looking into a program for dealing with oil well cleanup. The province is also demanding oil companies pay their back taxes.

  Politics

  Mar 22, 2023
• Alberta NDP alleges corruption, conflict of interest in Premier Danielle Smith’s office

  The NDP say there's a conflict of interest in the premier's office as it hired Kris Kinnear, who like Smith lobbied for the Liability Management Incentive Program (formerly RStar).

  Politics

  Mar 16, 2023
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• Unpaid oilpatch taxes rise again despite energy industry boom, say rural Alberta municipalities

  The Rural Municipalities of Alberta said energy companies now owe towns and villages in which they operate a total of $268 million — up 261 per cent since 2018.

  Economy

  Mar 7, 2023
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• Alberta rural leaders on oil well cleanup plan: ‘How a fox would design a henhouse’

  RStar has been widely criticized by energy economists, who say it would transfer money to companies who don't need it to do work that most are doing anyway.

  Politics

  Nov 10, 2022