British Columbia Regulation
British Columbia’s terrestrial oil and gas industry (including crude oil, natural gas, and pipeline activities) is regulated through a single window approach by the Oil and Gas Commission (OGC). Following the downturn in BC’s natural resource sector in the 1990s, a restructured approach was proposed in order to increase efficiency in processing oil and gas applications and to attract further investment (Rankin et al. 2000, 145). This involved privatization of the power sector more broadly (Griffin Cohen 2002). The OGC was formed under the Oil and Gas Commission Act in 1998 (S.B.C. 1998, c.39). The responsibilities of the OGC range from initial exploration and development to monitoring industry compliance with provincial legislation, and finally to decommissioning. The OGC is run through a corporate structure and is funded through industry fees and levies. The OGC’s current Board Members of include Steve Carr, BC’s Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Gas Development, the CEO and Commissioner of the OGC, Mr. Paul Jeakins, and Mr. John Jacobsen, a retired oil and gas industry professional who was appointed by the provincial government to the board in 2008 and reappointed in May 2013.
In 2008, the OGC’s responsibilities were further extended under the Oil and Gas Activities Act (OGAA). Changes under the OGAA include the consolidation of the Oil and Gas Commission Act, the Pipeline Act, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act, as well as the creation of a new appeal tribunal. There are several additional regulations pertaining to the OGC including 1) exploration; 2) consultation and notification; 3) pipeline regulations; and 4) environmental protection.
The OGC does not have jurisdiction over marine based oil and gas activities in British Columbia–including exploration for offshore oil and gas exploration and development or oil tanker traffic. Offshore oil and gas, although at a standstill due to the federal moratorium, is under the federal jurisdiction of Natural Resources Canada and under the provincial jurisdiction of the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Marine transportation of oil and gas products is regulated federally under the jurisdiction of Transport Canada.
LINKS
Oil and Gas Commission
Oil and Gas Activities Act
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_08036_01
Geophysical Exploration Regulation
http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/1215528698
Consultation and Notification Regulation
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/1976694347
Pipeline and Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/281_2010
Environmental Protection and Management Regulation
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/21404536
Natural Resources Canada: Rights, Risks and Respect: A First Nations Perspective on the Lifting of the Federal Moratorium on Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration in the Queen Charlotte Basin of British Columbia
http://www.turtleisland.org/news/fnep.pdf
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/pacific/marine-menu-1336.htm
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The content for this province was peer-reviewed in Oct 2013. We’d like to acknowledge the assistance of the external reviewers and Leanne Ross, Annette Angel and Amanda Chrisanthus who contributed to this webpage content.
