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Timeline 

Our estimated processing time for this application is 10 business days. Refer to section 24 of the Exploration Regulation, “Notification of Decision.”  

Purpose of the Application

We regulate geophysical (seismic) exploration activities alongside Alberta Environment and Parks on both public and private lands under the following legislation: 

  • Mines and Minerals Act – The act is jointly administered by Alberta Energy, Alberta Environment and Parks, and the AER.  AER responsibilities are specific to energy resource exploration activities under Part 8 of the act.
  • Exploration Regulation – The AER authorizes geophysical (seismic) exploration programs under the regulation.
  • Exploration Directive  – The directive forms part of the regulation and details rules for geophysical (seismic) exploration activities, operations, and submission processes. 

Process Checklist 

Before applying

In accordance with section 107(1) of the Mines and Minerals Act (MMA), before applying to conduct exploration activities in the province of Alberta, a company must first obtain an exploration licence. See section 5.0 of the directive and associated MMA forms for more details on how to obtain an exploration licence. 

We recommend applicants read the Exploration Directive, which details our application requirements, processes, and timelines for geophysical exploration programs. 
If applying for programs on public lands, we recommend applicants also read the Policy and Procedures Document for Submitting the Geophysical Field Report Form, which details environmental requirements on public lands for geophysical exploration program operations. 

Some lands in Alberta have restrictions in place for geophysical (seismic) operations. A description of these areas can be found at the Government of Alberta’s website, “Exploration Restricted Areas.” 

Submit an application 

Companies must submit their applications through the Application Disposition Process and Tracking (ADEPT) system. We recommend applicants read the following guidelines prior to application submission using ADEPT:

Program submissions must be emailed to @email with the following keywords in the subject line: 

  • “SUBMISSON” and “CLIENTID:###-###-###”

See section 2.0 and 3.0 of the Digital Geophysical Submission Specifications for more details. 

Exploration forms must be completed and submitted as part of our application process. These forms can be found on our website, aer.ca > Rules and Directives > AER Forms > Mines and Minerals Act Forms

Review Process  

Our review process will vary based on the type of application you are submitting. See the Exploration Directive for details. 

For inquires or more information about how to submit geophysical (seismic) applications, please email @email