Facility and Well Site Inspections
On August 16, 2022, the AER released a new edition of Manual 001: Facility and Well Site Inspections (“Manual 001”), replacing the 2010 edition. Manual 001 is a reference document for AER staff conducting facility and well-site compliance activities. Although the manual is not an exhaustive inventory of all requirements, the industry may use it as a reference for facility and well-site inspections and as a guide to inform compliance management systems. The manual is divided into four sections: Gas Facility, Oil Facility, Waste Facility, and Well Site. Each section provides non-compliance statements, along with the relevant regulatory references. Manual 001 has been updated as follows:
(a) non-compliance statements for specified enactments (e.g., Public Lands Act, Water Act) were added;
(b) non-compliance statements to reflect current AER requirements and energy resource enactments (e.g., Directive 058: Oilfield Waste Management Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry, Oil and Gas Conservation Act) were added or removed as needed;
(c) the low- and high-risk ratings were removed to align Manual 001 with the AER’s Integrated Compliance Assurance Framework and Manual 013: Compliance and Enforcement Program; and
(d) Manual 001 was formatted to meet the AER’s current publication standards.
