Updated May 2022
Alberta's Gas Resources Preservation Act, first proclaimed in 1949, ensures that Albertans have enough natural gas supplies by mandating large volumes to be set aside for use before any can be removed from the province. Companies proposing to remove gas from Alberta must first obtain a permit from the AER.
Short- and Long-Term Removal Permits
There are two types of removal permits in Alberta:
- Short-term gas removal permits cannot
- exceed 3 billion cubic metres (109 m3) of gas (0.1 trillion cubic feet [Tcf]) or
- have a term longer than two years.
- Long-term gas removal permits allow
- removals of over 3 109 m3 of gas and
- terms of longer than two years.
Long-term natural gas removals from Alberta are permitted only if the gas to be removed is in excess of the current and future natural gas core market requirements over a 15-year period.
- Core market includes Alberta residential, commercial, and institutional gas consumers.
- Noncore market includes large industrial users who contract their own gas.
The AER calculates estimated gas reserves available for removal from Alberta (see Table S5.5). Values are calculated after accounting for Alberta's future requirements in core and noncore markets.
Gas available for removal from Alberta was calculated to be 161 109 m3 (5.7 Tcf) in 2021.
Figure S5.9 shows the volumes of natural gas available for permitting in Alberta from 2011 to 2021.
Learn More
- Methodology
- Data [XLSX]