Documents show that Alberta oil regulators stopped enforcing gas flare limits after government pressure.
Documents seen by have revealed that the regulator responsible for environmental enforcement in Canada’s largest oil-producing province, bowed to pressure from both the provincial government and major oil companies in order to remove a limitation on natural gas flare ups as Canadian oil production increased.
Alberta's decision to remove its 20-year old flaring limit, after companies exceeded the limit twice in a row with no objections by the federal government is a good example of Canada's challenges in reconciling environmental commitments and a renewed focus of economic growth.
Alberta Energy Regulator, according to documents obtained under access to information laws in 2024, sent letters to 20 companies threatening to enforce limits on flaring, which could have led to a curtailment of oil production, if operators failed to prepare and implement plans to lower their flaring volume. The plans submitted by operators such as Murphy Oil in the U.S. and Tamarack Valley Energy in Canada were not enforced. As first reported by, the regulator, in June 2025, quietly removed flaring restrictions as a response to Alberta government officials' directives.
A 'HUMBLE' AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
Email records previously unknown show that in the weeks leading up to the decision, the government encouraged the regulator to adopt a more "humble" and "collaborative" approach when communicating with the offending companies.
Alberta Environment Department officials wrote to regulators that it would be desirable to work together with industry partners to address the issue.
Alberta's government described the regulator as an independent, arm's length body. It was asked to make the change without "any proactive communication or announcements."
AER stated in an email that it would not enforce the law because it was reviewing the flaring policy and had already disclosed the limit of flaring in a regulatory filing made on its website.
Alberta Environment spokesperson Tom McMillan said that regulators and government staff collected industry feedback on the effectiveness of flaring policies.
McMillan stated that the comments were a result of staff-to-staff discussion about communication tone and engagement, not a compliance or enforcement measure.
FLARING LIMIT SEEN as PRODUCTION CAPT
Flaring is the act of burning excess natural gas produced during oil production. Canada, which is the fourth largest oil producer in the world, reached a record oil production level last year. Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, is a former UN Special Envoy for Climate Action who wants to diversify Canada's economy and get away from the U.S., as well as the uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. He has stated that he would like Canada to be an "energy superpower."
Canada's oil industry has stated that many environmental regulations are a hindrance to increasing production.
Documents show that the regulator was pushed back by companies over the flaring cap, which an industry group claimed could be used as a production cap de facto. Carney and Alberta signed an agreement on Thursday that would allow Alberta to abandon its planned cap on emissions in the oil and gas industry.
CLIMATE IMPLICATIONS
Some companies flare gas when no pipelines are nearby to transport it.
In terms of climate change, it is better to flare than vent, which involves releasing excess gas into the air without first burning it. Venting releases large quantities of methane - a powerful greenhouse gas. Alberta has reduced its oil and gas methane emission by half in the last decade.
According to a spokesperson from Canada's Environment Department, flaring is a quick-fix solution for reducing emissions of methane if companies venting natural gas switch over to flaring.
She said that Canada acknowledges the fact that flare-ups contribute to climate change through emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
International Commitments
Canada has signed a World Bank Initiative that requires countries to stop routine flare-ups by 2030.
Canada, along with 10 other nations, endorsed a recent statement at the COP30 Summit recognizing the importance to end routine venting and flaming by 2030.
Canada is not the only country that flares more gas. Other major oil producing countries such as Russia, Iran and the United States also flare more gas. The European Union has stricter regulations than Canada. This includes an outright prohibition on routine flaring which is done other than for emergencies or safety.
However, regulatory data indicates that flaring is on the rise in Alberta. In 2024, oil and gas producers in Alberta flared 912.7 millions cubic metres of gas, surpassing the provincial annual limit by 36%.
AER data from the first nine-months of 2025 was first calculated by. It shows that Alberta's oil companies are on course to exceed this year the flaring limit, which has been canceled.
Amanda Bryant is a senior analyst at the Pembina Institute. "Especially when there's a wide range of viable alternatives to flare-up."
(source: Reuters)
