Upstream oil and gas reclamation and remediation program
This program is designed to ensure that land used for oil and gas development in Alberta is restored to a productive state.
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Development is responsible for certifying the reclamation of specified land in Alberta.
View the program description
View the application process
View updates to the program
View frequently asked questions
Drilling Waste Disposal
Assessing Drilling Waste Disposal Areas: Compliance Options for Reclamation Certification (July 2012) must be used for all drilling waste disposal completed after November 1, 2012. The sampling protocol described in Fact Sheet R&R/04-1, Assessing Drilling Waste Disposal Areas, will still be accepted on sites where a Phase 2 ESA was conducted and the samples were analyzed prior to March 31, 2005.
View Assessing Drilling Waste Disposal Areas (PDF)
View Assessing Drilling Waste Disposal Areas - Calculation Tables
View Assessing Drilling Waste Disposal Areas - Checklist
View Competencies for Reclamation and Remediation
Professional Signoff
Professional Sign Off for Upstream Oil and Gas Reclamation Certificate Work
Program Developments: New Reclamation Criteria
Beginning July 1, 2010, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development has released the 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities. The criteria are divided into separate documents for three land uses: Cultivated Lands, Forested Lands, and Native Grasslands. The new criteria provide a flexible approach that reduces assessment requirements for simple sites. A greater level of effort is required for more complex or difficult sites. With the 2010 criteria, greater emphasis is placed on assessing crop productivity on cultivated land and re-establishing forest and native grassland ecosystems on forest and grassland sites.
