This unofficial consolidation of B.C. Statutes and Regulations is updated as new and amended laws come into force.
Click here for an interactive breakdown of what the BC Oil and Gas Commission regulates. You can access any of the Acts and Regulations listed there and below from the BC Laws website.
Please Note: This information is provided here for convenience, but it remains the responsibility of operators to check the rules and laws that apply to them. Check the BC Cumulative Regulation Bulletins for non-consolidated amendments to these regulations that may be in effect.
Oil and Gas Activities Act (OGAA)
The Oil and Gas Activities Act regulates oil and gas and related activities in B.C., including wells, facilities, oil refineries, natural gas processing plants, pipelines and oil and gas roads, through permits, authorizations, orders and regulations.
Bill 23, 2015: Changes to Oil and Gas Activities
- Section 48 adds manufacturing plants and petroleum refineries to the list of oil and gas activities regulated under the Oil and Gas Activities Act.
- Section 51 clarifies that neither the Burnaby Refinery nor the Prince George refinery are considered oil and gas activities until and unless a regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council changes this fact.
Consultation & Notification Regulation
- Outlines requirements for consultation and engagement with land owners and rights holders on permit application and amendment. Link to guidance.
- Note: Refer to Appendix 2 of the amended Emergency Management Regulation for recent changes to the Consultation and Notification Regulation.
Direction No. 1 to the Oil and Gas Commission
- Prohibits the issuance of a permit to convert a LNG facility pipeline into an oil or diluted bitumen pipeline.
Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation
- Outlines requirements for companies to undertake in respect of wells that have not been active for an extended period of time.
Drilling & Production Regulation
- Governs wells and facilities from permitting through to abandonment.
- For wells, this includes drilling, completion, production and abandonment.
- For facilities, this includes construction, operation, maintenance and abandonment.
- Links to guidance available for wells, cores, hydraulic fracturing, storage reservoirs and oil and gas and water production.
- Amendment effective May 17, 2019.
Emergency Management Regulation
- Effective March 1, 2018
- Regulates the planning for emergencies, with an all-hazards approach, and for the initiation of emergency response arising from oil and gas activity.
Environmental Protection and Management Regulation
- Sets out government's environmental objectives for oil and gas activities to enable environmental protection during the lifecycle of an oil and gas activity. Links to EPM Guideline and other remediation, reclamation and restoration guidance.
Fee, Levy and Security Regulation
- Amendment effective April 1, 2019.
Oil and Gas Activities Act General Regulation
- Regulates permit expiration, special projects, release of information, surveys, taxation, etc.
Oil and Gas Road Regulation
- Regulates construction, maintenance, use and deactivation of oil and gas roads.
Pipeline Regulation
- Regulates construction, maintenance, use and deactivation of pipelines.
Pipeline Crossings Regulation
- Regulates distances for working near and for crossing a pipeline and all associated costs.
Service Regulation
- Sets out the methods of delivery for documents and notices.
Environmental Management Act
- Oil and Gas Waste Regulation
- Regulates oil and gas waste permits, such as air emissions.
Forest Act
- Regulates oil and gas Master Licenses to Cut, cutting permits, and use of forestry roads.
Heritage Conservation Act
- Regulates cultural and heritage (archaeology and fossil) sites in B.C.
Land Act
- Regulates Crown land licences of occupation, statutory right of ways and rents.
Water Sustainability Act
- Regulates water use.
Agricultural Land Commission Act
- Agreement with the Commission granting powers to the Commission to decide on applications for permission for non-farm use of identified ALR lands for oil and gas activities and ancillary activities.
Environmental Assessment Act
- Regulates B.C. environmental assessment processes for reviewable projects.
Mines Act
- Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (the Code).
- Regulates Mines Act permits for oil and gas aggregate extraction.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Act
- Petroleum and Natural Gas General Regulation
- Regulates subsurface tenures and royalties for oil and gas.
- Surface Lease Regulation
- Sets out terms and conditions of surface leases on private land.
Water Sustainability Act
Regulates water use, wells, dams, ground water protection, crossings and works in and about a stream that are not regulated by OGAA.
Geothermal Resources Act
- Geothermal Geophysical Exploration Regulation
- Geothermal Operations Regulation
- Amendment effective March 8, 2019.
- Geothermal Resources General Regulation
- Regulates development and use of geothermal resources 80 degrees Celsius and above. More information.
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
- Regulates Canadian environmental assessment processes for reviewable projects.
Canada Marine Act
- Port of Prince Rupert Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities Regulations
- Includes application of certain aspects of OGAA and its regulations to the Prince Rupert Port Authority lands for liquefied natural gas-related development.
First Nation Commercial and Industrial Development Act
- Haisla Nation Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation
- Includes application of certain aspects of OGAA and its regulations to Haisla lands for oil and gas development.
Canadian Energy Regulator Act
- Regulates and approves cross-border pipelines.