(Alberta) AER Directive 60: Upstream Petroleum Industry Flaring, Incinerating, and Venting (downstream provisions)

This entry covers the downstream provisions of Alberta's Directive 60. The upstream measures are covered in a separate entry. 

 

Per section 6, licensees of natural gas transmission pipelines must minimize venting, flaring, and incineration volumes. Licensees must document alternatives considered in order to eliminate or reduce flaring, incineration, or venting, how they were evaluated, and the outcome of the evaluation. 

 

They must notify residents, schools, and the appropriate AER field centre of nonroutine flaring, incineration, or venting at licensed gas pipeline facilities if pipeline facility flaring, incineration, or venting exceeds four hours in duration or

30 000 m3.

 

Owners of gas pipeline systems must ensure that flares, incinerators, and vents are designed and operated in compliance with sections 7 and 8. Requirements cover limits for non-routine flaring, incinerating, or venting; notification; and reporting, recordkeeping. Most go into effect 1 January 2020; vent gas limits for new components effective 1 January 2022; vent gas limits for existing components (pre-2022) effective 1 January 2023.

 

The new requirements apply to AER-regulated: 

• pipeline installations,
• storage facilities, and tank terminals (i.e., production and injection wells, batteries, and central processing facilities within thermal in-situ oil sands schemes).

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