Industry perspectives on legislative efficiency of well site reclamation

In Canada, oil and gas companies operating in multiple provinces must develop reclamation protocols to satisfy the separate provincial legislative regimes. A vast amount of land is affected by oil and gas development, and a vast amount of resources are used to reclaim the land. Thus, a better understanding of legislative efficiencies is required to ensure that resources are used appropriately to maximize the quality of reclamation. For each province, this MDP analyzes: the structure and role of pertinent regulatory agencies involved in reclamation; the reclamation legislation itself; and the process of implementing this legislation. Legislative analysis and industry interviews have identified key issues which may influence the efficiency of the legislative regime, and consequently, the degree to which reclamation is achieved. These issues include: communication and coordination between regulatory agencies; clearly defined objectives and aligned legislation; and liability. British Columbia appears to have the least efficient legislative regime, as it requires a high degree of resource input, with little guarantee of timely certification. The relative efficiencies of Alberta and Saskatchewan are less clear cut. Alberta's regime requires a high degree of resource input, yet produces high quality certified reclaimed sites. On the other hand, Saskatchewan's regime demands fewer resources, but compared to Alberta, produces lower quality reclaimed land. Field research assessing the quality of reclamation in each province; evaluation of other pertinent regulatory agencies, and a cross comparison between industries are all examples of future research that will advance our understanding of how legislation influences reclamation.; Key Words: Barriers, Efficiency, Driving Forces, Legislative Analysis, Legislation, Legislative Framework, Oil and Gas, Reclamation, Regulatory Agencies...