More than 8,800 inactive oil and gas wells closed in Sask. since 2020

Saskatchewan’s Accelerated Site Closure Program has been productive.

According to the provincial government, more than 8,800 abandoned oil and gas wells have been capped or closed since the program was announced in 2020.

As well, more than 3,400 flowline abandonments were completed, more than 14,000 site remediation and reclamation activities were done, and over 18,500 unique oil and gas sites saw site closure work completed.

“Many former oil and gas sites will be returned to their natural state or previous use,” the government said in a media release. “The work has remediated and reclaimed lands across the province, including on reserve lands.”

According to the release, the Government of Canada provided $400 million in funding for the program, which was administered through the Saskatchewan Research Council.

The provincial government said money flowed to more than 900 Saskatchewan-based oil and gas service companies. That supported around 2,500 jobs over the life of the program, including around 1,790 jobs in the oil and gas service sector.

More than $90 million was spent in support of Indigenous participation, the province said, with over $32 million used for projects on reserve lands. Eligible Indigenous service companies completed over $59 million in site closure work under the program.

“The program provided an opportunity for a number of First Nations and Métis businesses to continue to operate through the COVID-19 pandemic in the oil and gas sector,” Sheldon Wuttunee, the president and CEO of the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence, said in the release.

“This means that many First Nations and Métis people were also working and the investment in reclaiming inactive sites and facilities means continued use for generations to come.”