It is important that our pipeline requirements follow current industry standards and best practices. With the help of regulators globally, we continually put our work under the microscope to improve how we regulate pipelines.
We have seen progress: pipeline incidents in Alberta declined by 46% between 2014 and 2023, while the combined length of pipelines increased by about 7%.
Alberta Pipeline Safety Review
In July 2012, Alberta’s minister of energy directed the AER to have a third party conduct a pipeline safety review. The review examined the adequacy of pipeline requirements and industry best practices for public safety and response to pipeline incidents, pipeline integrity management, and pipeline safety at or near water crossings.
The report detailing the review results, Alberta Pipeline Safety Review, included 17 recommendations to enhance an already strong and extensive pipeline regulatory system. We reviewed and responded to the report.
2015 Auditor General Report
In March 2015, the auditor general of Alberta released an audit on pipeline safety. The audit found that our pipeline regulations function well and made six recommendations for improvement.
We accepted all the recommendations and made the changes. We improved our surveillance and enforcement, established performance measures and targets, and enhanced staff training.
In November 2021, the auditor general published a report finding that the AER had implemented all six of the 2015 report recommendations.
What’s Next
In October 2023, we updated the Pipeline Rules and related regulatory instruments to ensure that our requirements align with the outcomes of public safety, environmental protection, resource conservation, and economic benefits that Albertans expect. We will continue working closely with industry and regulators globally to identify and adopt new technology to improve pipeline integrity and prevent incidents.
