Today we released new editions of Directive 055: Storage Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry and Directive 058: Oilfield Waste Management Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry. These directives were updated to incorporate the storage of large volumes of water such as produced water, water-based flow back, and oilfield landfill leachate in storage devices for reuse in hydraulic fracturing. In addition, the directives were revised to improve clarity and remove redundant and outdated requirements. During the revisions to both directives, the AER considered feedback from a variety of stakeholders and rights holders, including Indigenous communities, landowners, industry, municipalities, and environmental groups.
Directive 055 now includes technical requirements for engineered containment ponds and bladders with structural frames and expanded requirements for aboveground synthetically lined walled storage systems.
Directive 058 now includes storage of water for reuse in hydraulic fracturing as a waste storage activity.
Section 8.030(2) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules (OGCR) was also changed to make it clear that any storage device or system must follow the requirements in Directive 055.
Several ancillary documents were also consolidated into the directives, including addendums, interim directives, informational letters, and reports. Consequently, the following documents have been rescinded:
- Previous editions of Directive 055, Directive 058, and their addenda
- Interim Directive (ID) 99-04: Deposition of Oilfield Waste into Landfills
- ID 2000-04: An Update to the Requirements for the Appropriate Management of Oilfield Wastes
- Informational Letter (IL) 98-01: A Memorandum of Understanding Between Alberta Environmental Protection and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Regarding Coordination of Release Notification Requirements and Subsequent Regulatory Response
- IL 98-02: Suspension, Abandonment, Decontamination, and Surface Land Reclamation of Upstream Oil and Gas Facilities
- Updates to Storage Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry Discussion Document on Directive 055 July 2009
ID 2000-03: Harmonization of Waste Management and Memorandum of Understanding Between the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and Alberta Environment has been discontinued as an interim directive (or ID) because it contains no regulatory requirements, but it will be continued as a memorandum of understanding because it informs the relationship between the AER and Alberta Environment and Parks on waste management.
Over the next few months, administrative changes will be made to several directives and manuals to reflect the document rescissions and changes to Directive 055 and 058. No requirements in these associated directives will be changed.
Drafts of the directives were released on June 10, 2021, and public feedback was accepted through July 25, 2021. A summary of the feedback, including our responses, is available on each directive's webpage.
The directives are available on our website, www.aer.ca > Regulating Development > Rules and Directives > Directives. For more information, contact our Customer Contact Centre by phone at 403-297-8311 (1-855-297-8311 toll free) or by email at inquiries@aer.ca.
