Orphan Wells

• 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
  
• 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
  
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• 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
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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
• 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
• New Alberta energy minister to keep coal moratorium, consider well cleanup breaks

  Alberta Energy Minister Peter Guthrie confirmed he has no plans to withdraw the order — although he wouldn't say how long it will remain.

  Environment

  Nov 8, 2022
• Budget officer finds $1B oil and gas orphan well liability by 2025; critics claim underestimate

  In a report released Tuesday morning, parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux says the price tag will reach more than $1 billion by 2025.

  Canada

  Jan 25, 2022
• Study finds abandoned oil and gas wells place unfair burden on landowners, taxpayers

  A report from the University of Calgary says the costs of Alberta's growing stock of abandoned and inactive oil and gas wells are falling unfairly on landowners and taxpayers.

  Canada

  May 20, 2021
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• Alberta court asked to step in as SanLing Energy warns it intends to stop operating by April 30

  The Orphan Well Association has applied to have a receiver assume control of the assets of energy producer SanLing Energy, which has warned it will cease operations this month.

  Environment

  Apr 21, 2021
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• Big oil companies eligible for millions from federal coronavirus bailout to clean up sites

  There are currently close to 100,000 inactive wells in the province, which are wells that have stopped producing.

  Investigations

  Dec 17, 2020