Timeline
Our estimated processing time for this application is 10 business days. See our timeline spreadsheet for updates.
Purpose of the Application
The Gas Resources Preservation Act gives us the authority to regulate natural gas removal in Alberta. We assign gas removal permits to companies to control the amount of gas leaving the province. This ensures that Albertans have an adequate supply of gas to support their needs. Companies must apply for a permit to remove natural gas or ethane under section 2 of the act.
We allow companies to hold one short-term (typically two-year) gas removal permit. Companies do not need to notify us of their intent to apply for a short-term gas removal permit or a permit amendment. The length of a short-term permit will depend on how much gas the company intends to remove from the province.
Short-term gas removal permits cannot
- exceed 3 billion cubic metres of gas, or
- have a term longer than two years.
The permits we approve are not required to remove the following:
- propanes
- butanes
- pentanes
- other natural gas liquids
Our permits are also not required to import gas into the province.
Process Checklist
Submit an Application
Companies must submit their new, amendment, and rescission short-term gas removal permit applications through our Digital Data Submission (DDS) system. We will register each application and assign it a reference number.
By submitting an application, the company accepts that its information is no longer confidential.
Review Process
- We share all applications on our Public Notice of Application page to encourage public participation in the approval process.
- Anyone who believes that they may be directly and adversely affected by an application can file a statement of concern (SOC). If we receive an SOC, it may take us longer to process the application.
- The application will be assigned to a subject matter expert for initial review. If information is missing (i.e., the application is not complete or requirements under Directive 065: Resources Applications for Oil and Gas Reservoirs are missing), we may close the application. Otherwise, we will proceed with a full technical review. We look at the following:
- applicant’s corporate status under the Alberta Registries
- permit’s current reported volumes
- permit’s current term
- applicant’s requested recession date
- applicant’s requested volume
- applicant’s requested term for new and amendment applications
For amendments, we will review the currently approved term and reported gas volumes.
- We may request additional information (through a supplemental information request) to complete the technical review.
- We will decide to approve, close, or deny the application. If we close it, the applicant may reapply without prejudice. If we deny it, the applicant can file an appeal through our appeal process.
- We will provide the applicant with a link to the approved permit, which is accessible through the Integrated Application Registry. We will also share our decision on our Publication of Decision page.
