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News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ERCB RELEASES PROVINCIAL FIELD INSPECTION AND COMPLIANCE SUMMARY
Calgary, Alberta (June 17, 2008) The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) has released the Provincial Surveillance and Compliance Summary 2007 (Statistical Series 99-2008). The report contains information on energy industry compliance, ERCB enforcement actions and the activities carried out by ERCB Field Surveillance staff.
Highlights of the 2007 Report include:
- Industry’s compliance rate with major ERCB regulations rose slightly to 97.5 per cent in 2007, an increase from 97.3 per cent in 2006.
- In 2007, the ERCB suspended 247 energy facilities, pipelines, and operations. In 2006, the ERCB suspended 177. The increase is mainly due to the ERCB’s focus on pipeline safety and compliance. The ERCB has suspended 1,121 energy facilities and operations in Alberta since 2000.
- The number of well blowouts dropped to 35 in 2007. In 2006, there were 45 well blowouts.
- In 2007, the ERCB recorded the lowest-ever pipeline failure rate of 2.1 failures per 1,000 kilometres of pipeline. Additionally, 76.5 per cent of all pipeline releases were low level, sweet gas releases also known as ‘pinhole’ releases. Since 2000, the pipeline failure rate has dropped 30 per cent.
- In 2007, there were 785 complaints related to oil and gas facilities. This is an 11 per cent decrease in public complaints over 2006.
- Sulphur recovery was at 99 per cent in Alberta in 2007. Overall, sulphur emissions have been reduced by 40 per cent since 2000.
In 2008, the ERCB will hire 26 Public Safety and Field Surveillance staff. The additional staff will allow more inspections, increased community and aboriginal outreach, and more air monitoring staff.
The ERCB will also focus on conducting operator awareness sessions to increase industry’s understanding of regulatory requirements.
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For more information, please contact:
Bob Curran, ERCB Communications
Tel: 403-297-3392
Email: bob.curran@ercb.ca
NR 2008-13
