The work will be spread out across the Lloydminster, Kindersley, Swift Current and Estevan areas.

The number of orphan wells in British Columbia has more than doubled thanks to the failure of one oil and gas company.

Alberta's energy regulator has cited clean-up concerns in blocking the sale of sour gas wells, pipelines and other facilities from an energy giant to a much smaller company.

Natural Resource Minister Seamus O'Regan called uptake "significantly higher" than expected.

As Alberta's oil and gas sector continues to face a dire outlook, one company is diversifying the work it provides in the province.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Resources, there are 159 orphan wells in Saskatchewan that require abandonment.

A group tasked with cleaning up Alberta's thousands of abandoned energy facilities says the province's rules to make sure polluters clean up their wells before selling them off are inadequate.

The possible transfer of hundreds of sour gas wells, pipelines and other facilities from energy giant Shell to a much smaller company has raised concerns about Alberta's efforts to ensure taxpayers don't get stuck with the cleanup bill.

The latest failure of a Calgary-based junior oil and gas producer could add more than 1,400 wells to a provincial inventory of orphaned petroleum assets, warns the Alberta Orphan Well Association.

The Alberta Orphan Well Association says it has taken the "unprecedented'' step of having a receiver appointed to manage the oil and gas assets of failed Trident Exploration.