Flint LogoFlint Logo V
Flint People IconFLNTTsx Logo

What Are Reclamation And Remediation?

Published May 3, 2021.
Est. Reading: 2 minutes
Flint What Are Reclamation And Remediation Blog May 2021

Reclamation is the restoration or rehabilitation of land to bring it back into a more natural state after being damaged or altered in some way.

Remediation is the action of remedying something, in particular of reversing or stopping environmental damage.

After an oil and gas project has been completed or ceased under the Environmental Enhancement and Protection Act (EPEA), energy companies must restore the land to a state equivalent to what it was before development took place on it.

Steps in Reclaiming Land

  1. Ground recontouring
  2. Replacing topsoil, subsoil and any organic material salvaged before development on the land
  3. Monitoring water and soil quality
  4. Revegetation and seeding

Reclamation of oil and natural gas sites and pipelines starts at the project planning phase. The average life of a well is around 20-30 years. Once a well is no longer able to produce, physical reclamation begins. Operators must clean up the site on the surface and subsurface to ensure the well has been safely abandoned. Through the reclamation process, surface water, groundwater and soil are tested to ensure the land is not contaminated and does not pose a risk to the environment. When reclamation has been completed, monitoring begins; this can take anywhere from 2-10 years (or longer), depending on the land use and type of development. When operators believe that the site is self-sustaining and proper standards are met, they can apply for a reclamation certificate.

Flint Environmental Services offers various environmental consulting services ranging from regulatory permitting to large-scale reclamation and remediation focused on servicing our clients across different end markets.

We have reclaimed hundreds of well sites across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. We pride ourselves on delivering cost and schedule certainty to our clients while implementing our all-inclusive turnkey approach to asset retirement programs.

Contact us for more information on reclamation and remediation services.

crosscross-circle