The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca Deep Dives, Cold Facts, & Pointed Commentary en-US Copyright 2026 The Narwhal hourly 1 11 things you need to know as Trudeau announces $1.7 billion to clean up ‘festering’ orphan and inactive wells https://thenarwhal.ca/11-things-trudeau-1-7-billion-clean-up-festering-orphan-inactive-wells/ Fri, 17 Apr 2020 18:31:38 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=18075 Federal funding will create jobs during the coronavirus crisis and help clean up environmental liabilities, but puts taxpayers on the hook for costs that were supposed to be paid by the oil and gas industry Sharon J. Riley Explainer abandoned wells Corporate Influence oil and gas orphaned wells well reclamation A Sequoia well site near Ponoka, Alta ‘Hidden danger’: Life for farmers atop Alberta’s 400,000 kilometres of pipelines https://thenarwhal.ca/hidden-danger-life-for-farmers-atop-albertas-400000-kilometres-of-pipelines/ Wed, 20 Nov 2019 20:43:49 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=14775 Don and Marg Wieben thought they'd found a piece of paradise when they moved to Fairview, Alta., nearly 50 years ago. Now, with pipelines crisscrossing their farm — most often left to remain in the ground 'indefinitely' — they wonder what's being left behind for the next generation Sharon J. Riley On the ground abandoned wells Alberta Corporate Influence oil and gas pipeline spills Fairview Alberta Pipelines Farmers Amber Bracken The Narwhal Oil and gas companies owe Albertans $20 million in unpaid land rents https://thenarwhal.ca/oil-and-gas-companies-owe-albertans-20-million-in-unpaid-land-rents/ Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:53:19 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=9942 Payments to landowners made by government on behalf of delinquent companies up 840 per cent since 2010 Sharon J. Riley Investigation abandoned wells Alberta Corporate Influence oil and gas wells orphaned wells Oil and gas wells Alberta Alberta taxpayers footing bill for delinquent oil and gas companies, investigation reveals https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-taxpayers-footing-bill-for-delinquent-oil-and-gas-companies-investigation-reveals/ Mon, 07 Jan 2019 18:14:56 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=9505 Landowners are supposed to get paid for wells on their property, but companies are increasingly defaulting, which means the Alberta government ends up picking up the tab. An investigation by The Narwhal reveals the province is almost never recouping these costs Sharon J. Riley Investigation abandoned wells Alberta Alberta Surface Rights Federation Corporate Influence oil and gas wells Oil wells in Alberta Many of Alberta’s ‘reclaimed’ wells aren’t actually reclaimed: government presentation https://thenarwhal.ca/many-of-albertas-reclaimed-wells-arent-actually-reclaimed-government-presentation/ Fri, 07 Dec 2018 00:29:31 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=9290 With the click of a button, oil and gas companies can receive certificates for site clean up — almost always without any on-the-ground inspection from the regulator — in a system one former inspector says is failing Albertans Sharon J. Riley In-Depth abandoned wells Alberta oil and gas wells Reclamation in Wainwright, Alberta on Monday, November 5, 2018. Amber Bracken The story of Alberta’s $100-billion well liability problem. How did we get here? https://thenarwhal.ca/the-story-of-albertas-100-billion-well-liability-problem-how-did-we-get-here/ Fri, 02 Nov 2018 19:06:51 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=8759 Landowners once promised a fair share for hosting oil and gas infrastructure on their properties say Alberta’s liability management system is broken. They're worried the regulator has long been propping up the industry by exaggerating profits and underestimating the costs of cleanup — often leaving landowners with a tangled mess of wells, rusty pipes and contaminated soil. Sharon J. Riley Investigation Photo Essay abandoned wells Alberta climate change environmental law liability oil and gas orphan wells Orphan Wells Association Daryl Bennett Three Ways to Improve Alberta’s Toothless Energy Regulator https://thenarwhal.ca/three-ways-improve-alberta-s-toothless-energy-regulator/ Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:00:00 +0000 http://localhost.com/narwhal/2017/04/07/three-ways-improve-alberta-s-toothless-energy-regulator/ admin Opinion abandoned wells AER alberta energy regulator Barry Robinson Ecojustice Enforcement Government monitoring Nomad Opinion Geothermal Picks Up Steam With Alberta Proposal to Retrofit Abandoned Oil Wells https://thenarwhal.ca/geothermal-picks-up-steam-alberta-proposal-retrofit-abandoned-oil-wells/ Thu, 25 Aug 2016 22:09:04 +0000 http://localhost.com/narwhal/2016/08/25/geothermal-picks-up-steam-alberta-proposal-retrofit-abandoned-oil-wells/ James Wilt In-Depth abandoned wells Alberta Borealis GeoPower Craig Dunn Geothermal In-Depth retrofit oil and gas wells Shayne Anderson Geothermal Could Put Thousands from Alberta’s Oil and Gas Sector Back to Work https://thenarwhal.ca/geothermal-could-put-thousands-alberta-s-oil-and-gas-sector-back-work/ Wed, 04 May 2016 00:23:17 +0000 http://localhost.com/narwhal/2016/05/04/geothermal-could-put-thousands-alberta-s-oil-and-gas-sector-back-work/ Carol Linnitt In-Depth abandoned wells Ben Lee Canada Canadian Geothermal Energy Association CanGEA Geothermal In-Depth orphan wells Raven Thermal Systems Right Top Site C Tim Davies Turkana Alberta’s Abandoned Wells Quadrupled in Last 12 Months. Who Will Clean Them Up? https://thenarwhal.ca/albertas-abandoned-wells-quadruple-last-12-months-who-will-clean-them/ Fri, 22 Apr 2016 19:14:21 +0000 http://localhost.com/narwhal/2016/04/22/albertas-abandoned-wells-quadruple-last-12-months-who-will-clean-them/ Samantha Power In-Depth abandoned wells Alberta Alberta Surface Rights Group Barry Robinson Brad Herald Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Don Bester Ecojustice Energy In-Depth Orphan Well Association orphaned wells Petroleum Services Association of Canada PSAC