https://thenarwhal.ca Deep Dives, Cold Facts, & Pointed Commentary en-US Copyright 2026 The Narwhal hourly 1 https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-oil-and-gas-unpaid-rent-2024/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=141397 When oil and gas companies are unable, or unwilling, to pay their land rent, the provincial government will pay it for them. More than 99% of the time, the government never gets its money back Sharon J. Riley News Alberta oil and gas orphan wells Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal A pipeline station north of Fort Saskatchewan photographed at dusk https://thenarwhal.ca/aski-saulteau-first-nation-oil-wells-reclamation/ Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=117650 Aski Restoration is ‘healing the land’ in their historic homelands Isaac Phan Nay In-Depth B.C. oil and gas orphan wells Spirits of Place Photo: Quinton Tutin / The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca/aer-orphan-wells-documents/ Mon, 08 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=77592 The Alberta Energy Regulator feared a ‘landslide’ of orphan wells — already an ‘exponentially large drain on Albertans’ — was coming. The province has since started implementing reforms, but critics say it’s not enough Drew Anderson In-Depth Alberta environmental law natural gas oil and gas orphan wells Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal A sign for Alberta's Orphan Well Association on a gate leading to a well site with where the company has walked away https://thenarwhal.ca/danielle-smith-oil-cleanup-payments-alberta/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 23:32:35 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=71745 The proposed pilot oil and gas cleanup incentive program — first pitched to the government by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith when she was an industry lobbyist — has led to a barrage of criticism from banks and economists Drew Anderson Explainer Alberta Danielle Smith environmental law oil and gas orphan wells Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal Oil and gas wells and horses in Alberta field https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-energy-regulator-list/ Mon, 05 Dec 2022 13:58:40 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=65515 Newly obtained documents reveal the Alberta Energy Regulator has kept a confidential list of ‘potentially high risk’ sites, including some that could endanger public safety, since at least 2019 Mike De Souza News Alberta contaminated sites environmental law foi oil and gas orphan wells Photo: Amber Bracken / The Narwhal Oil well on smoky Alberta landscape https://thenarwhal.ca/airdrie-motel-alberta-oil-contamination/ Sat, 08 Jan 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=41432 Across Alberta, underground storage tanks have contaminated properties, often rendering neighbouring land nearly worthless. Finding data on the issue is also a mess Drew Anderson In-Depth Alberta contaminated sites oil and gas orphan wells Photo: Karl Lee / The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca/cnrl-alberta-oil-gas-wells-cleanup/ Fri, 07 May 2021 15:27:22 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=28367 Canadian Natural Resources Limited — which has reported an average annual profit of $1.9 billion over the last decade — benefited most from taxpayer-funded cleanup of derelict wells Sharon J. Riley News Alberta Corporate Influence COVID-19 oil and gas orphan wells Well site Alberta https://thenarwhal.ca/canada-oil-gas-pandemic-subsidies-report/ Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:04:09 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=27685 Despite long-held promises to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, Ottawa increased assistance to the industry in 2020 with public funding for pipelines, inactive well clean-up and policing of Indigenous opponents Sarah Cox News Alberta B.C. Corporate Influence orphan wells subsidies An oil and gas pumpjack beside an empty road https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-oil-gas-land-rent-2020/ Wed, 10 Mar 2021 00:18:02 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=26638 The bill for delinquent companies — picked up almost entirely by taxpayers — is up 3,000 per cent from 2010 Sharon J. Riley In-Depth Alberta COVID-19 oil and gas orphan wells An oil well in the snow near Taber, Alberta https://thenarwhal.ca/ranch-energy-bankruptcy-401-orphan-wells-dumped-on-b-c-cleanup/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 22:36:34 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=19705 The new oil and gas sites more than double the province’s orphan well tally, bringing it to 770, as dozens of Peace region landowners now await reimbursement from the BC Oil and Gas Commission for unpaid rents Sarah Cox News B.C. BC Oil and Gas Commission fracking orphan wells Orphan oil and gas wells BC The Narwhal https://thenarwhal.ca/b-c-finally-has-rules-to-enforce-clean-up-of-oil-and-gas-wells-but-will-they-be-enough-to-protect-taxpayers/ Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:15:25 +0000 https://thenarwhal.ca/?p=19369 Energy minister Bruce Ralston is confident his government’s new timelines and penalties will address the growing problem of inactive oil and gas wells, but critics say taxpayers are still not protected as the province readies for a fracking boom to supply the LNG Canada project Sarah Cox In-Depth fracking LNG orphan wells Oil and gas well cleanup B.C. Garth Lenz The Narwhal