Title: Alberta Pipeline Safety Review
Author: Theo Abels, Group 10 Engineering Ltd.
Publisher: The Alberta government’s Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB)
Date: December 7, 2012
Summary:
Alberta (the ERCB) provides the most thorough overall regulatory regime of all the assessed Canadian jurisdictions.
This is most likely due to the fact that Alberta has a very mature (well established) pipeline industry and the largest number of pipelines; and the ERCB, as a regulator, has evolved over time to regulate and manage the industry as appropriate. The other provincial jurisdictions have comparatively fewer pipelines under their authority and a younger pipeline industry with the growth realistically only occurring since 2000. An example of this is the fact the since the 1970’s all regulated oil and gas pipelines in Alberta have been identified, mapped and licensed; whereas in some Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions portions (i.e. upstream gathering sections) of the pipelines still do not require registration or licensing.
