When energy infrastructure is no longer needed, the AER ensures wells, pipelines, mines, and associated facilities are taken out of service in a way that meets regulatory requirements.
Companies must safely and responsibly suspend and decommission their energy infrastructure and reclaim energy development sites. Decommissioning involves safe and permanent well closure, including plugging the well and surface equipment removal.
When a well has been decommissioned and the site has undergone required remediation and reclamation, and met environmental assessment standards, licensees may apply for a reclamation certificate. A reclamation certificate demonstrates the site has been restored to a state as close as possible to its pre-development condition.
A decommissioned (abandoned) well is one that has been permanently sealed and taken out of service.
Number of decommissioned and reclaimed wells
Hover over the bottom left corner of the chart to enable +/- buttons. These buttons allow you to drill down through multiple levels of data.
Highlights
