February 2025

AB: Review Estimated Liability Before Issuance of Orphan Fund Levy 

The AER is targeting April 1, 2025 for the issuance of the 2025/26 orphan fund levy. 

Through use of a new Groundwater Protection Missing Information form in OneStop, Directive 011 now enables licensees to submit missing cementing information. As outlined in section 5.1.1.2 of Directive 011, if the groundwater is not protected, a groundwater protection estimated liability cost is added. Once the AER receives the form and reviews the information, if appropriate, the AER will remove this additional estimated liability cost (on average 46,000$).

Information that could affect estimated liability as identified in Directive 011 must be submitted on or before March 26, 2025, to be considered in the calculation of the 2025/26 orphan fund levy, including groundwater protection, abandonment notifications, or submissions under the Conditional Adjustment of Reclamation Liability Program. 



Submissions made after this date will not be considered in the 2025/26 levy. Once the levy is issued, licensees will be able to view the specific licences and estimated liability used to calculate their 2025/26 orphan fund levy through the OneStop Liability Assessment Report.

Additional information can be found: Bulletin 2025-08

AB: Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery Program (EHRP)

On March 10, 2025, Alberta Energy posted an announcement pertaining to the EHRP. This Bulletin is a reminder that the program remains in effect with no material change. The most recent update to the Guidelines were issued November 2024. 

The EHRP came into effect January 1, 2017, to provide royalty relief benefits to both secondary and tertiary enhanced recovery schemes since its inception. 



The EHRP is designed to help promote incremental hydrocarbon production in areas, including oil sands, where enhanced recovery may not be economically viable by reducing the royalty rate to a flat 5 per cent for approved schemes. 

Schemes can receive this rate for up to 90 calendar months for tertiary schemes and 72 months for secondary schemes based on the amount of incremental forecasted production. All new secondary and tertiary recovery schemes may be eligible.

Additional information can be found: Information Bulletin 2025-02

AB: Mandatory Electronic Data Submissions for Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) and Geothermal Applications

On March 7, 2025, Alberta Energy provided a notice that in May 2025, PNG Tenure Operations will no longer accept paper data submissions for the following applications that are currently submitted through the Electronic Transfer System (ETS). 

Electronic data will be required to be submitted as part of your application in ETS for: 

• Continuation and Validation Data 

• Geothermal Data • Crown Mineral Activity Application Data 

• Offset Notice Response Data 

For the following applications that are currently not submitted through ETS, electronic data will be required to be submitted with your application via e-mail: 

• Trespass Notice Responses and Data 

• Unitization Proposals, Amendments, Enlargements and Data 

• Crown Mineral Activity Audit Notice Responses and Data



Additional information can be found: Mineral Rights Information Bulletin 2025-01

SK: Pipeline Licensing – New Process

On February 28, 2025, the ER announced that all new pipeline licence applications will be pre-approved. Routine applications will continue to be approved instantaneously by the Integrated Resource Management System (IRIS) upon successful submission, whereas non-routine applications will be manually approved within hours of receipt on a business day.

Additional information can be found: BT2025-003

BC: New regulation streamlines requirements for hydrogen manufacturing

The requirements set out in the Hydrogen Facility Regulation take effect April 1, 2025. The deposited Hydrogen Facility Regulation is available on the BCER website. 

Additional information can be found: IU 2025-03

BC: New Notification Process to Streamline Minor Well Changes

On March 7, 2025, the BCER announced the following update to the new well permits, extensions and amendments:

• For well permits that include the notification permission, permit holders may use the notification process for future well changes that meet the criteria for notification.

• Notifications can be submitted through e-Submission only after the notification permission has been added to the well permit.

• If the well permit does not include the notification permission, or if a change is being made that does not meet the criteria for notification, permit holders must submit an amendment application.



Additional information can be found: TU 2025-03

BC: Updates to the Compliance Management Information System (CM-IS)

Industry users who report and manage incidents reportable to the BCER, will be required to use the updated features of CM-IS to enter incident data and manage and respond to information requests from the BCER.

Additional information can be found: TU 2025-04