Grandfathered Reclamation Release Application

Licensees of well and facility sites that were reclaimed before the implementation of the Acknowledgement of Reclamation (AOR) Program on June 19, 2007, may qualify to be exempted (grandfathered) from the reclamation submissions required under The Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, 2012.

Guidance

The Grandfathered Reclamation Release authorization applies to those well and facility sites that were reclaimed before June 19, 2007, where the Government of Saskatchewan's Ministry of Energy and Resources has no record of either:

• A surface lease release from the surface owner after completion of the reclamation work; or
• A certificate of release for the restoration of the well or facility site issued by the Surface Rights Board of Arbitration.

If the Grandfathered Reclamation Release is granted, the authorization exempts the licensee from the AOR application requirements.

Eligibility

Before applying for a Grandfathered Reclamation Release authorization, you must:

• Have an Integrated Resource Information System (IRIS) account and the appropriate permissions assigned by your IRIS Security Administrator.
• Be the registered licensee of the well or facility site in IRIS.
• Have evidence that the licensed well or facility site, including the access road, was reclaimed before June 19, 2007, and there are no existing issues related to the well or facility operation at the site.
• Verify in IRIS that the following is true regarding the licence for which the application is being submitted:
  • Facility Infrastructure Status Type is 'Decommission' or Well Status is 'Abandoned' or 'Cancelled' (where the site has been built but the well was not drilled and the site reclaimed),
  • Abandonment Liability associated with the licence under the LLR Program is $0.00.

NOTE: Unlicensed well or facility sites do not appear in IRIS or the LLR Inventory Reports. However, the AOR Program requirements still apply if there was any surface disturbance at the site.

How To Apply

To apply for a Grandfathered Reclamation Release authorization:

1. Ensure you meet all eligibility requirements.
2. Prepare the application package as a single PDF document (no security applied), named "Licence# Grandfathered.pdf", with the pages oriented so they can be read on a computer screen. The applicable components must be presented in the following order:
   
   • Completed Grandfathered Reclamation Release Form
   • A survey (use the most recent proposed or as-drilled survey available) which clearly identifies:
     
     • Areas where land use differs from historical surrounding land use
     • The entire site, including the access road (highlighted in yellow)
     • Landowner authorized improvements remaining on site (highlighted in red)
   • Surface title from Information Services Corporation (ISC) identifying all of the current registered surface owners associated with the given well/facility site and access road.
   • A Reclamation release which must include one or more of the following documents:
     • Surface Lease Release signed by the applicable landowner(s)
     • Certificate of Release from Surface Rights Board of Arbitration
     • A signed Landowner Acknowledgement Form (required where the above documents do not match the current owner listed on the surface title(s) to ensure there are no existing issues at the site)
   • Evidence of the reclamation where a Surface Lease Release or Certificate of Release was not dated prior to June 19, 2007.
     
     • For example, a time stamped air photo prior to June 2007 showing the site is equivalent to surroundings and no issues exist.
3. Log in to IRIS and complete the application process. For step-by-step details on how to complete the Grandfathered Reclamation Release application process in IRIS see Acknowledgement of Reclamation (AOR) at the User Learning Centre.

If information emerges, during the review of the application, that an issue may be present, the ministry may deny the Grandfathered application and require the licensee to submit an Application for an Acknowledgement of Reclamation in accordance with the AOR Program.

The status of the application is communicated to the applicant as a notification through IRIS.

When a Grandfathered Reclamation Release application is authorized, the reclamation liability associated with the abandoned/cancelled well or decommissioned facility site under the LLR Program is zeroed.

Apply

IRIS Login

Further Information

Issues reported on sites that received Grandfathered Reclamation Release authorization

If the ministry is notified of an issue at a site that received grandfathered approval, it will be investigated. If it's determined that the issue resulted from a former well or facility operation, the ministry will contact the licensee or working interest participant to address it in accordance with The Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, 2012.

Depending on the severity of the issue, the ministry may require documentation to be submitted to confirm the issue has been addressed, and confirmation that the landowner is satisfied with the actions taken by the licensee or working interest participant.

The ministry reserves the right to cancel the reclamation release and/or reinstate the reclamation liability if deemed necessary.