Alberta auditor general seeks reforms to how province manages oilpatch liabilities

Alberta's auditor general says the province's system for managing environmental risks from old oilpatch facilities needs significant improvement.

In a report issued today, Doug Wylie says the Alberta Energy Regulator lacks important safeguards to ensure abandoned wells, pipelines and other infrastructure are cleaned up safely.

He says the regulator needs better public reporting and better ways to measure its results.

Wylie recommends that energy companies be given a timeline to clean up their facilities, as is done in other jurisdictions.

He wants to see more emphasis on ensuring adequate security is collected to pay for cleanup.

Neither the province nor the regulator was immediately available to comment on the report's nine recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.