B.C.’s new program to restore dormant and inactive wells and bring support to B.C. workers in oil and gas service companies received an overwhelming response. 

The province announced three programs on May 19 to use the $120 million granted by the federal government to clean up oil and gas sites. The application process opened yesterday, and the first application came in after 15 minutes. By the end of the day the Province had received over 1,100 applications from more than 80 service companies and contractors. 

“The applications we have received in a single day propose upwards of $152 million worth of reclamation work, which, if completed, will reclaim over 2,400 inactive wells,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “The extraordinary interest in the program is great news as we work to get our economy moving again and help clean up the environment.” 

The government estimates that the program could support up to 1,200 jobs for British Columbians, many of them within the northeast region of the province. 

The Dormant Sites Reclamation program will provide successful applicants with up to $100,000, or 50% of total costs, whichever is less, for dormant site clean-up projects.  

The program is split into two phases of $50 million each. Applications for the second half will open on November 1, 2020. Of the remaining federal funding, $15 million is going to the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission’s (BCOGC) Orphan Sites Supplemental Reclamation program, and $5 million to the Legacy Sites Reclamation program. 

These programs are open to oil and gas field service companies and contractors based in B.C., with registration, office and operations in B.C. 

For more information on the Dormant Sites Reclamation program, click HERE.