Operating Oil and Gas Assets in Alberta?

Have questions about the changes in the Public Lands Administration Regulation Table (PLAR) Table?  

You can now apply for many dispositions without a field survey.

AS you may already know, new PLAR table (A1 and A2) were released by Alberta’s Ministry of Forests and Parks on December 1^st.

Let’s talk about what this means for your operations.

Applies to New Dispositions for:

• DLO and LOC – Major Corridors, Class I and Class II roads, bridges, water intake/supply line, water reservoir,
• DPI and PIL – Various types of above-ground pipeline installations
• MLL and MSL – Central Processing Facilities, Compressor Sites, Gas Processing Plants, Observation wells
• DML and MLL – most Waste Management facilities
• MSL – Wellsites (Production, Disposal, Experimental, Injection, Observation, OS, Storage)
• EZE and REA – Fibre Optic Cables and other Communication Cables
• TCL and DLO – most Tourism and Commercial Developments
• DML – Domestic and Municipal Water Wells

Click here to learn more about what we do for the energy sector.

What Changed:

• In general, fewer dispositions require a Plan of Survey – Which means less time on the front end of the project development and savings on associated survey field costs.
• A new “final” plan type for certain applications known as a Surveyor Sketch was introduced.

What Exactly is a Surveyor Sketch?

A drawn plan prepared and signed by an Alberta Land Surveyor (ALS) for certain disposition types without field observations. Plans prepared by an ALS are recognized by the government to be of higher quality and are expected to be reviewed more efficiently.

While supporting standards are still in development, good-faith applications are already being accepted by the Crown.

What Has Not Changed:

• In cases of dispute, the department can impose the need for a survey.
• Issued disposition holders may not operate outside the extent of their approval plan.
• The ALS should mark out the ground prior to construction to ensure the activities are positioned correctly according to the plan.
• A field assessment and survey may still be advisable to assess the suitability of the site.

Benefits Of These New Requirements:

• In general, applicants will see a reduction in drafting and survey costs on the applications listed above, as well as faster plan preparations and delivery.
• Initial stages of projects can move ahead more quickly, saving the company money and time.
• Reduces redundant rework where boundaries are pre established by another disposition.
• If projects are cancelled or delayed, you will not incur unnecessary up-front survey costs

If you have questions, reach out to us or complete the form above to apply for a disposition.