Oil and gas companies are required to abandon dry holes or any well that is no longer producing, usually by pouring cement down the wellbore and removing all wellhead equipment.

If a licensee is reluctant or unable to abandon the well in a timely manner, the ERCB has the authority to enforce compliance.

A well that has ceased production is also considered to be suspended, which means it is no longer viable or operational.

Once a well has been abandoned, the company must return the land as close to its original state as possible. This process, known as reclamation, must be completed before the company may leave the well site. 

A pipeline, meanwhile, is considered abandoned when it has permanently ceased operations, regardless of whether it has been physically removed from the site.

The operator must obtain a reclamation certificate from Alberta Environment. The certificate is issued only after Alberta Environment is satisfied that the site has been properly reclaimed. Landowners are not responsible for the costs of reclamation. For more information on reclamation, contact Alberta Environment.