Directive 065: Resources Applications for Oil and Gas Reservoirs ...

Unit 6 Gas and Ethane Removal
6.1 Background
The removal of natural gas from the province of Alberta is governed by the Gas Resources
Preservation Act (GRPA). A major reason for gas removal permits is to control the amount of
gas leaving the province and thereby ensure that Albertans have an adequate supply. The
ERCB completes an annual calculation that indicates whether or not there is gas available for
inclusion in gas removal permits, taking into account a 15-year supply for the core Alberta
market and obligations resulting from existing gas removal permits. Report 87-A: Gas Supply
Protection for Alberta, available from ERCB Information Services, presents the ERCB’s
policies on gas supply matters. While the forms and procedures in this document have been
superseded, the report continues to provide valid information regarding gas supply protection
for Alberta.
As set out in the GRPA, there are two types of gas removal permits:
• Short-term gas removal permits involve the removal of not more than 3 billion cubic
metres (m 3 ) of gas over a period of not more than two years. These permits may be used
for any market.
• Long-term gas removal permits involve the removal of gas in volumes greater than
3 billion m 3 of gas or permit terms longer than two years. These permits are market
specific and may be used only to serve the market(s) described in the applications that
resulted in the permits.
This directive replaces Informational Letter (IL) 96-5: Requirements for Applications for
Permits to Remove Gas from Alberta. The directive updates existing requirements but does
not introduce any changes in gas removal policy or new requirements for applications for the
removal of natural gas. Additionally, the directive sets out the requirements for ethane
removal permits. These requirements were not previously set out in any document but were
handled on an ad hoc basis.
6.2 When to Make This Application
Under the GRPA, any party wishing to remove natural gas or ethane out of Alberta must
apply to the ERCB under Section 2 of the GRPA for a permit to authorize such removal of
gas. No ERCB permits are required to take propanes, butanes, pentanes, other natural gas
liquids, or oil out of Alberta. No permits from the ERCB are required to import gas into the
province.
If there are corporate changes such that the party desiring to use a permit is not the permittee
named in the permit, an application must be filed to amend the permit holder name in the
permit.
6.3 How the ERCB Processes the Application
Applications for gas and ethane removal permits and for amendments of existing
gas removal permits must be filed using one of the application forms included in
Appendix G.
ERCB Directive 065: Resources Applications / Gas and Ethane Removal (October 2011) • 6-1