Rural Municipalities Association president is hopeful the provincial government will resolve the issue in upcoming year
The problem of oil and gas companies not paying their property taxes or surface lease payments doesn’t seem to be going away despite the sector recording massive profits this year. However, relief may be coming for rural municipalities and land holders, according to the president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. “I’m confident this government, […] Read moreTag Archives oil and gas industry — page 2
Solar projects help with oil, gas well remediation
Company’s pilot project will take advantage of existing infrastructure by erecting solar panels on inactive well sites
The cleanup of inactive oil and gas infrastructure in Alberta is daunting but a renewable energy company is looking to lighten the load while producing electricity through solar generation. RenuWell opened its Municipal District of Taber project this month. “We have over 170,000 inactive wells throughout Alberta — most of them in southern Alberta — […] Read more
Surface rights changes coming
A bill introduced in the Saskatchewan Legislature Nov. 7 is designed to help landowners recover overdue surface lease compensation, said energy and resources minister Jim Reiter. “These amendments will give the Surface Rights Board and the ministry of energy and resources the tools they need to better protect landowners from unpaid leases,” said Reiter. The […] Read more
Albertans nominate wells to remediate
A new Alberta program will allow affected neighbours to call for companies to remediate oil and gas well sites
As Alberta wrestles with a $30 billion unfunded oil and gas infrastructure clean-up bill, a new program is set to begin in early 2023 that will allow landowners, municipalities and Indigenous groups to nominate wells to be remediated at the company owner’s expense. Alberta’s Closure Nomination Program (CNP) will allow stakeholders with oil and gas […] Read more
Energy firms’ ‘tax strike’ continues despite boom
Alta. rural municipalities say unpaid tax problem began during downturn but did not improve when better times returned
Unpaid municipal taxes by oil and gas companies have been a nagging issue for Alberta rural municipalities trying to pay for rising infrastructure costs while an estimated $253 million remains outstanding. That amounts to an increase in unpaid municipal property taxes of more than 200 percent since 2018, according to the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. […] Read more
Stopping Alberta’s oil tax roller-coaster ride
Rural municipalities are collectively owed more than $253 million in unpaid property taxes by oil and gas companies
The Alberta government must review the province’s tax system to help ensure farmers are shielded from the ups and downs of oil and gas property taxes, says a rural leader. “I think a transition away from our petro dollar addiction is definitely on top of mind for every municipal leader,” said Paul McLauchlin, president of […] Read more
Property rights review gets oil and gas earful
‘If I don’t pay my taxes, you guys take my land away; if they don’t pay, it’s really nothing,’ Alta. councillor says about sector
If there is one message southern Alberta rural landowners are telling an all-party legislative committee on property rights, it’s that oil and gas companies are not living up to their financial commitments. “If I don’t pay my taxes, you guys take my land away,” Ross Ford, Warner County councillor, told the committee during their stop […] Read more
Property taxes remain uncollected as oil sector booms
Alberta’s rural municipalities are collectively owed about $253 million in unpaid property taxes by oil and gas companies enjoying soaring profits due to surging energy prices, says a rural leader. Municipalities play a critical role in providing access to the province’s oil and gas resources, said Paul McLauchlin, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. […] Read more
Energy sector conflicts raised as Alta. gov’t reviews property rights
An Alberta legislature all-party committee is opening public consultations to determine what changes may be required on a range of legislation governing land ownership. The committee opened its latest meeting session in Edmonton on Feb. 16 featuring more than a dozen members of the public and land rights advocate organizations giving verbal presentations with several […] Read more
Prairie orphan well costs expected to balloon
The environmental liability for cleaning up wells could grow to more than $1 billion by 2025 from $360 million today
The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates the cost of cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells in Alberta and Saskatchewan will continue to swell in coming years. However, it still underestimates the scope of the problem, said an advocate for well clean-up efforts. In his report, Yves Giroux, federal parliamentary budget officer, estimates that the $360 […] Read more
