Canadian Underwriter
News

Dry weather, low water flow conditions prompt Alberta Energy Regulator to encourage oil and gas operators to reduce consumption


August 18, 2015   by Canadian Underwriter


Print this page Share

Drought conditions in Alberta have prompted the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) to encourage oil and gas operators in the province to voluntarily reduce their consumption in areas with no mandatory restrictions but with stream flows lower than normal.

Alberta Environment and Parks issued a low flow advisory for the Upper Athabasca River basin in late July

Due to dry weather and low flow conditions in rivers across Alberta, the AER has taken steps to restrict water withdrawals under current temporary diversion licences (TDLs), Kirk Bailey, AER executive vice president of operations, said in a press release on Friday.

In late July, Alberta Environment and Parks issued a low flow advisory for the Upper Athabasca River basin. The advisory notified water users in the region that current temporary TDLs are suspended and no new applications would be accepted. The AER has applied this restriction to oil and gas operators in the region.

Related: Claim payments for multi-peril crop insurance in Alberta estimated at $700-900 million this year

In addition, the following restrictions on TDLs for watercourses (for example, rivers and creeks) have been put in place for other river basins in Alberta:

• Battle River basin – no TDL applications are being accepted;

• South Saskatchewan River basin – no TDL applications are being accepted; in some sub-basins all TDLs have been suspended;

• Milk River basin – no TDL applications are being accepted;

• Peace River basin – no TDL applications are being accepted; in some sub-basins all TDLs have been suspended; and

• North Saskatchewan River basin – no TDL applications are being accepted; in some sub-basins TDLs are in the process of being suspended.

Related: City council in Sturgeon County, Alberta declares state of agricultural disaster due to drought

The AER is working with Alberta Environment and Parks to monitor water flow in Alberta’s rivers and will lift the restrictions when river flows return to “acceptable levels,” the release said.

Last month, city council in Sturgeon County voted unanimously to declare a “state of agricultural disaster” due to recent drought and the impact on the livelihood of local farmers. The county said at the time that it was experiencing a “once in 50-year low soil moisture levels due to low record rainfall and hot, dry weather.” Alberta’s Parkland County similarly declared a state of agricultural disaster and Mackenzie County reported it was dealing with drought conditions.


Print this page Share

Have your say:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*