In December 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada hosted a stakeholder engagement session to provide an overview of the proposed regulatory framework following its November 2022 publication, identify next steps in the process, and provide responses to stakeholder questions during a Q&A period. A brief summary of the proposed changes are below. Environment and Climate Change Canada outlined next steps as reviewing stakeholders’ comments on the proposed regulatory framework and publishing the proposed regulatory amendments in 2023.
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| Existing regulations 🡲 | Proposed enhanced actions |
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Hydraulically fractured well completion |
Hydrocarbon gas conservation and destruction equipment Destruction equipment requires 99%+ control efficiency, conservation equipment 98%+ efficiency, fuel combustion 95% control efficiency |
| Venting Applicable to facilities which produce and/or receive more than 60,000m³ per year and vent, flare, & deliver a combined volume of more than 40,000m³ per year |
General facility venting and flaring No longer bound by conditional requirements, applicable to all oil facilities exceeding a 5m³ per day (combined flare + vent volume) |
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Leak detection |
Fugitive emissions |
| Pneumatic controllers Applicable to facilities which produce and/or receive more than 60,000m³ per year |
Pneumatic devices No longer bound by conditional requirements. All pneumatic pumps and controllers at oil and gas facilities would be required to be non-emitting or captured |
| Pneumatic pumps Applicable to facilities which produce and/or receive more than 60,000m³ prt year |
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| Centrifugal and reciprocating compressor All compressors with a rated brake power > 75kW will be required to conserve, destroy, or meet the applicable limits |
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| Other equipment Pipes, hatches, sampling systems and pressure relief devices must be operated in such a way as to minimize emissions |
| Additional coverage |
| Distribution pipelines Fugitive management, pneumatic device and blowdown rules would be applied |
| Compressor engines exhaust Methane emissions at engines would be required to meet a performance standard expressed as a limit |
| Planned blowdowns Hydrocarbon emissions associated with planned pipeline blowdown activities would require control through capture for conservation or destruction |
| Non-producing wells Annual inspection to monitor these sites for emissions |
| Glycol dehydrators Reduce emissions by at least 95% or emissions would have to be captured |
| Liquids unloading Well liquids unloading activities would be required to reduce emissions by at least 95% |
| Flaring Prohibit routine flaring and including these flaring volumes within the proposed general facility and venting limit of 5m³/day |
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