The BC Energy Regulator is a single-window regulatory agency with responsibilities for overseeing oil and gas operations, refineries, and geothermal development in British Columbia.
From exploration through to final reclamation, we work closely with communities and land owners, and confirm industry compliance with provincial legislation. We also ensure there are close working relationships with Indigenous peoples.
What We Regulate
Hover over the graphic to learn more about the legislation and regulations that govern energy development in B.C.
Permitting and Authorizations
Any company wanting to explore, develop, produce and market oil and gas resources in B.C. must apply to the BCER for a permit, which carries out an extensive review, assesses and makes decisions on these applications.
Heritage Conservation Act
This is the government legislation the BCER uses to protect heritage resources.
Geophysical Exploration Regulation
This regulation gives the BCER the ability to regulate geophysical exploration including near pipelines, utilities and residences.
First Nations Consultation and Reconciliation
The BCER has responsibility and authority to ensure the Crown’s legal obligations to consult and accommodate, if appropriate, are fulfilled with respect to decision-making on oil and gas activities.
Requirements for Consultation and Notification Regulation
This regulation gives the BCER the ability to regulate how oil and gas producers communicate with people who are within specified distances of oil or gas activities.
Environmental Protection and Management Regulation
The BCER is guided by this regulation which lays out government’s environmental objectives for protection and management of resource values, including water, streams and lakes; wildlife and habitat; and forest health.
Forest Act - Tree Cutting
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation to allow oil and gas producers to clear the land for their operations.
Land Act - Land Clearing
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation to allow oil and gas producers access to the surface of the land for the purpose of engaging in oil and gas activities.
Water Sustainability Act - Water flow in/out
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation and issues permits and licences so oil and gas producers can access water, make changes in and about a stream and build dams for their activities.
Water Sustainability Act - Stream Crossing
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation and issues permits and licences so oil and gas producers can access water, make changes in and about a stream and build dams for their activities.
Oil and Gas Road Regulation
This regulation gives the BCER the ability to regulate how oil and gas producers build, operate, maintain and deactivate resource roads.
Agricultural Land Reserve - Agricultural Land
The BC Energy Regulator has a delegation agreement with the Agricultural Land Regulator so it can permit some non-farm uses on Agricultural Land Reserve lands for oil and gas-related activities.
Agricultural Land Reserve - Grazing Land
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation to allow oil and gas producers to clear the land for their operations.
Mines Act - Gravel/Borrow Pit
The BCER has delegated authority under this government legislation to allow aggregate extraction for the oil and gas sector only.
Drilling and Production Regulation - Drilling/producing
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers drill and complete wells, including spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Drilling and Production Regulation - Hydraulic Fracturing
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers drill and complete wells, including spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Drilling and Production Regulation - Reservoir Management
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers drill and complete wells, including spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Drilling and Production Regulation - Unconventional Well
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers drill and complete wells, including spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Drilling and Production Regulation - Injection Disposal Well
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers drill and complete wells, including spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Geothermal Operations Regulation
This allows the BCER to regulate how geothermal wells are prepared, drilled and completed, including land preparation, spacing, protection from hazards, safety requirements, well restoration and records keeping.
Pipeline Regulation
This allows the BCER to regulate how oil and gas producers move oil, gas, water and related fluids in pipelines, incorporating national standards and consistent with other western Canadian jurisdictions.
Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation
This allows the BCER to regulate how natural gas is liquefied, based on a national standard, and covers the full life-cycle of LNG activities, including construction, operation, safety requirements and deactivation.
Oil and Gas Processing and Facilities Regulation
The OGPFR regulates how oil is refined and natural gas is converted into organic compounds such as plastics and fuels.
Environmental Management Act
This is government legislation that regulates environmental performance in the province, and the BCER administer specific sections for oil and gas producers related to surface and air discharges.
Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation
The BCER uses this to regulate how oil and gas activities are decommissioned and restored, including timelines to ensure an orderly wind up of operations.
Compliance and Enforcement
The BCER strives to ensure a fair, effective and consistent approach to enforcement of the oil and gas sector and can issue non-compliance notices and warning letters, compliance orders, make findings of contravention, issue administrative penalties or tickets, suspensions or cancellations of permits, and seek prosecution through the courts.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Act
This is the government legislation that allows the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation to regulate the bidding process for sub-surface tenure rights and charge rents and royalties for the resources.
Energy Resource Activities Act
This is the government legislation that allows regulation of oil and gas and related activities in B.C. throughout their entire lifecycle, from exploration to construction, operation, transportation, to decommissioning and restoration.
Fee, Levy and Security Regulation
This regulation gives the BCER the ability to charge fees for services and levies to fund its ongoing operations.
Emergency Management Regulation
This regulation allows the BCER to take an “all-hazards” approach to regulating the full lifecycle of all oil and gas activities, including requirements for training exercises and site-specific emergency response plans.
Land Act
The BCER administers sections of this government legislation on Crown land to issue land leases, licences of occupation, or rights-of-way.