Alberta energy company ceases operations, hands over 4,700 wells

B00Mer

Keep Calm and Carry On
Sep 6, 2008
44,800
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Rent Free in Your Head
www.getafteritmedia.com
Alberta energy company ceases operations, hands over 4,700 wells



An Alberta energy company that shut down operations on Tuesday says low gas prices and high property taxes led to its demise.

In a statement, Trident Exploration Corp. said, “Alberta has no mechanism to allow a struggling energy company such as Trident to address its inflated surface lease and property tax obligations.”

The company handed over responsibility for approximately 4,700 wells to the Alberta Energy Regulator—a cleanup Trident estimated at $329 million.

AER said it “will pursue all options to ensure that Trident’s infrastructure is transferred to responsible operators, safely decommissioned, or, as a last resort, transferred to the Orphan Well Association.”

OWA is a non-profit organization that protects and manages wells without owners. According to its website, there were 3,172 Orphan Wells for Abandonment in its inventory as of mid-April.

“We’re very concerned about the challenge of well-reclamation in Alberta and our platform speaks to that,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said.

Trident also criticized the Redwater decision, a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that prohibits energy companies from walking away from unprofitable wells without cleaning it up.

The premier vowed to “closely review” the decision and sit down with Alberta municipalities to attempt to lower property taxes.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta...s-operations-hands-over-4-700-wells-1.4405983
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
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Nakusp, BC
They are just walking away from their responsibility to clean up their mess. It is what oil companies do. It has always been thus. Anybody who expects integrity from them is blind and dumb.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
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Red Deer AB
Does anybody not understand that Alberta has been thoroughly 'explored' many times over so what would the company even be bidding on when finishing off the small lines that service acreages is also just about complete so more companies will be biting the dust in the near future.
 

Twin_Moose

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 17, 2017
21,299
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Twin Moose Creek
They are just walking away from their responsibility to clean up their mess. It is what oil companies do. It has always been thus. Anybody who expects integrity from them is blind and dumb.

Oh do you think they got their money back from the abandoned well fund? Or the company that takes over will not be paying into it as well?
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
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48
Alberta
Transfer what payments? Obviously there is no royalty money from the company as well.


Municipalities got annual payments from the province on a per capita basis. Ralph cut those out. He could have chose to reduce the size of the provincial government instead but took the easy route. If Kenny is serious about reducing property taxes, he should reinstate the transfers. Otherwise, he should STFU
 

Hoid

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 15, 2017
20,408
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Also I hear many BlockBuster Video stores are closing down.

No word on the government bailout.