Natural gas resources in British Columbia are publicly owned and managed by the provincial government on behalf of British Columbians. This section outlines how the government carries out these responsibilities. The bolded words and terms are explained later on in this section for better understanding.

BC Oil and Gas Commission

The BC Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) is an independent, single-window regulatory agency with responsibilities for overseeing oil and gas operations in British Columbia, including exploration, development, pipeline transportation, and reclamation.

The OGC was created as a Crown Corporation under the Oil and Gas Commission Act; in October 2010, this Act was replaced by the Oil and Gas Activities Act. The OGC’s regulatory responsibilities includes those delegated to it by the Oil and Gas Activities Act as well as others specified under the Forest Act, Heritage Conservation Act, Land Act, Environmental Management Act and Water Act. The cost of operating the OGC is funded through the application of industrial fees and levies on a cost recovery basis.

The OGC’s core roles include:

• Reviewing and assessing applications for industry activity
• Consulting with First Nations
• Ensuring industry complies with provincial legislation
• Cooperating with partner agencies.

The public interest is protected through the objectives of ensuring public safety, protecting the environment, conserving petroleum resources and ensuring equitable participation in production.

Regulatory responsibility of the OGC extends from the exploration and development phases, through to facilities operation and ultimately decommissioning. It is charged with balancing a broad range of environmental, economic, and social considerations.

Term Definitions

• Crown Corporation: a corporation or company owned by the provincial or federal government.
• Act: a formal decision or law determined by the government or other authority.
• The Canada Oil & Gas Act: governs the exploration, production, processing, and transportation of oil and gas in marine areas controlled by the federal government. They do not include areas covered by the provincial government.
• The Forest Act: forest laws that apply to federal lands, which are a small portion of Canada’s forested areas.
• The Heritage Conservation Act: deals with actions or processes that are aimed at safeguarding the character-defining elements of a cultural resource to retain its heritage value and extend its physical life. For example, this could include buildings or historical sites.
• Land Act: in B.C., Crown land is managed under the authority of three acts of legislation: The Land Act, the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing Act, and the University Lands Endowment Act. It is the primary set of laws that is used by the government to convey land to the public for community, business, and industrial use; it allows the granting of land, leases, licences, permits, and rights-of-way.
• Environmental Management Act (EMA): regulates industrial and municipal waste discharge, pollution, hazardous waste, and contaminated site remediation; provides the authority for introducing wastes into the environment while protecting public health and the environment.
• The Canada Water Act: provides the framework for cooperation with the provinces and territories in the conservation, development, and use of Canada’s water resources. It also includes work done under the terms of Act to safeguard the water quality and quantity of Canada’s watersheds.