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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EUB RELEASES PROVINCIAL SURVEILLANCE AND COMPLIANCE SUMMARY

Calgary, Alberta (June 23, 2006) The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) has released the Provincial Surveillance and Compliance Summary for 2005 (Statistical Series 99-2006). This document contains information on energy industry compliance, EUB enforcement actions, and the activities carried out by EUB field staff. The Report shows the EUB is working to ensure that Alberta energy companies comply with the EUB's rules and regulations.

Highlights of the 2005 Report include:

• Industry's compliance rate with major EUB regulations was at 98.2% in 2005, up from 98% in 2004 and 97% in 2003. This measure is the best indicator of industry's compliance with the EUB's rules and regulations.
  
• The EUB carried out 16,782 inspections of Alberta energy facilities in 2005.
  
• The pipeline failure rate in Alberta has dropped by 30% since 2000. The number of pipeline failures per 1000 km of pipeline was 2.3 in 2005 compared with 3.3 in 2000.
  
• In 2005, the public registered 924 complaints to the EUB about oil and gas facilities. This is up 9% from 2003, but the same number of complaints as registered by the EUB in 2000. EUB field staff respond to all public complaints about upstream oil and gas activities in Alberta.
  
• Annual sulphur emissions from Alberta gas plants have been reduced by 26% since 2000 (57,000 tonnes in 2005 and 78,000 tonnes in 2000). Since 1974, Alberta gas plants have reduced their sulphur emissions by 75% (229,000 tonnes in 1974 to 57,000 in 2005).
  
• The EUB suspended 91 energy facilities and operations in 2005. The EUB has suspended 825 energy facilities and operations in Alberta since 2000.

The document combines and replaces the previous reports ST57: Field Surveillance Provincial Summary and ST99: Proactive Compliance Report. The new report continues to detail industry's compliance with EUB requirements and the enforcement actions taken in cases of noncompliance. The sections relating to field surveillance and inspections also continue to describe the wide range of activities carried out by EUB field staff.

The EUB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta's resources take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.

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For more information, please contact:

Davis Sheremata
EUB Communications
Phone: 403-605-4216
Fax: 403-297-3757
Email: davis.sheremata@gov.ab.ca

NR 2006-25