Regulatory and Environmental

Expertly Navigate the Regulatory Landscape

Over the past 3 decades, the AER, the BC Oil and Gas Commission (OGC), and the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy have evolved significantly, and Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd. (GLE) has evolved with them. The knowledge of how to execute petroleum production systems and facilities that best fit our clients’ needs, the regulator’s requirements, and the social environment of Western Canada is ingrained in our staff and company culture.

GLE’s regulatory department has successfully handled hundreds of applications for projects of all sizes (up to ~$400MM) and is considered among the best in Western Canada. Extensive knowledge gained from this experience has translated into an ability to provide the appropriate level of information with applications which frequently shortens an application’s approval time. Strict attention to detail and professional quality/presentation of this information are incorporated into every application.

The department maintains a highly-regarded relationship with the provincial energy industry regulators of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. GLE’s regulatory staff also maintain well-established relationships with the environmental ministries of those 3 provincial governments.

GLE’s regulatory expertise has generated a positive reputation which has led to its involvement on special projects such as a regional LNG facility in the city of Dawson Creek; projected to be the first operational LNG facility in BC.

GLE’s environmental & regulatory specialists have successfully managed the permitting from early project stages through to construction and start-up for a wide variety of facilities and pipelines. Their general experience includes:

• Producing the necessary technical deliverables required by the British Columbia OGC and the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) for facility and pipeline applications
• Use of the OGC electronic system (KERMIT) and AER electronic system (DDS) and for application submission
• A considerable number of large (~200 MMSCF/d and above) natural gas processing plant applications
• Condensate processing facility applications
• Oil & gas facility applications in Saskatchewan and Manitoba
• National Energy Board regulated pipelines (applications and ongoing compliance)
• Established relationships with a large number of Surveyors, Land Management Consultants, and Environmental Consultants (noise impact assessments, water quality assessments, soils, etc.) active in Alberta and BC
• Effectively managing the above third-party entities in order to successfully execute the licensing process from start to finish
• Acting as a liaison between clients, regulators, third-party entities, and GLE in order to expedite permits and ensure ongoing compliance with applicable regulations
• Regulatory schedule development and cost management
• Alberta and BC Boilers & Safety Associations (ABSA & BCSA) and CSA/ASME codes & regulations

GLE’s staff also have the necessary training, software, and expertise in order to successfully complete air emissions dispersion modelling projects from start (data gathering, emissions source calculations, and meteorological data pre-processing) to finish (preparing reports which meet the content requirements effective in each province). GLE uses the following software for emissions dispersion modelling:

• AERMOD for applications where a steady-state, straight-line, Gaussian plume model is appropriate (i.e. short to mid-range pollutant transport)
• CALPUFF for applications where a dynamic Lagrangian puff model is appropriate (i.e. long‑range pollutant transport and complex flow conditions

Only models approved by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency and Canadian environmental ministries/energy regulators are used by GLE for air emissions dispersion modelling. Commercial GUI’s developed by Lakes Environmental are utilized by GLE for both models to aid in the efficiency of its staff’s data processing and report generation.

GLE regulatory staff also have significant technical expertise with the following:

• Latest versions of the AER’s flare/incinerator calculation tools AERflare-incin and ABflare
• Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) calculations using the AER’s ERCBH2S program (for sour gas releases) and the US EPA’s SLAB model for HVP releases
• Supporting Emergency Response Planning (ERP) development to ensure compliance with the OGC Emergency Management Manual and the AER’s Directive 071