Amendments to Petroleum Resources Act and Oil and Gas Operations Act now in effect

News Releases

Yellowknife — July 29, 2020

Changes to two laws governing activities in the oil and gas sector in the Northwest Territories are now in force.

 

Amendments to the Petroleum Resources Act and Oil and Gas Operations Act, including stronger transparency and accountability provisions, were passed in August 2019 by the 18th Legislative Assembly after an extensive public consultation process.

 

With guidelines and communications materials now in place, these best-practice amendments took effect on July 23, 2020.

 

While exceptions exist to protect commercially sensitive information, all information that companies are required by law to disclose to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment or to the Regulator will now be made public.

 

Quote(s)

“These targeted amendments are an additional step forward in a longer-term process to modernize the oil and gas legislation for the Northwest Territories.  The federal laws that we mirrored after Devolution in 2014 have served their intended purpose, but now we require amended laws that better meet today’s needs and priorities of our territory.”

-Katrina Nokleby, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment   

 

Quick facts

  • The total aggregate oil production between January 1 and December 31, 2019 was 2,737,952 barrels or 435,299 m³.
  • The total aggregate natural gas production in the NWT was 2.546 billion ft³ or 72 million m³ between January 1 and December 31, 2019.

Related links

For more Information, please  contact:

Bob Kelly

Industry, Tourism and Investment

Tel: (867) 875-7117