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Acts and regulations
Table 1. Oil sands acts and regulations (available on the Open Government website)
| Title | Chapter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mines and Minerals Act | Chapter M-17 | This act governs the management and disposition of rights in Crown-owned minerals. It includes the levying and collecting of bonuses, rental and royalties. (Administration of portions of this act is shared with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas.) |
| Mines and Minerals Administration Regulation | A.R. 262/97 | |
| Mines and Minerals Dispute Resolution Regulation | A.R. 170/2015 | This replaced the Oil Sands Dispute Resolution Regulation, which was repealed on November 30, 2015. |
| Oil Sands Tenure Regulation, 2020 | A.R. 92/2020 | This replaced the Oil Sands Tenure Regulation, 2010, which was repealed on December 1, 2020. |
| Oil Sands Royalty Regulation, 2009 | A.R. 223/2008 | |
| Oil Sands Royalty Regulation, 1997 | A.R. 185/97 | |
| Oil Sands Allowed Costs (Ministerial) Regulation | A.R. 231/2008 | |
| Bitumen Valuation Methodology (Ministerial) Regulation | A.R. 232/2008 | |
| Petroleum Royalty Regulation, 2009 | A.R. 222/2008 | |
| Oil Sands Conservation Act | Chapter O-7 | This act establishes regulations and approvals for the development of oil sands resources and related facilities in Alberta. It is administered by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). |
| Oil Sands Conservation Rules | A.R. 76/88 | |
| Government Organization Act | A.R. 44/2001 | Under this act, the responsibility for certain enactments was transferred to the Minister of Energy and Minerals. |
| Exploration Regulation | A.R. 284/2006 | |
| Access to Information Act | Chapter A-1.4 | |
| Access to Information Act Regulation | A.R. 133/2025 | |
| Protection of Privacy Act | P-28.5 | |
| Protection of Privacy Act Regulation | A.R. 132/2025 | |
| Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation | A.R. 186/2008 | |
| Natural Gas Royalty Regulation, 2009 | Section 1(1)(zz) and Section 13 | Portions of this regulation apply to oil sands solution gas, administered by the AER. |
Regulatory processes
Alberta's oil sands are the fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves in the world. For potential developers and producers new to the development of oil sands in Alberta, there are regulatory procedures to:
- acquire an agreement from the Crown
- start the development process
The following guide explains the regulatory processes you must follow to ensure responsible development of Alberta’s oil sands: Introduction to Oil Sands Regulatory Processes.
Overview
It is important to understand each of the following steps:
- An Electronic Transfer System (ETS) account must be set up to begin extracting Alberta’s oil sands.
- Acquiring an agreement. You must purchase an agreement.
- Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). You must acquire approval from the AER.
- Apply with Alberta Energy and Minerals if you want an oil sands royalty (OSR) project (this is optional). If you apply for an OSR project you must obtain project approval.
- You must comply with the department’s reporting and royalty payment requirements.
Contact
Connect with Oil Sands, Coal and Mineral Operations:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Email:
Oil Sands Royalty Project Applications and Compliance [email protected]
Oil Sands Royalty Administration [email protected]
Oil Sands Royalty Information Management [email protected]
Oil Sands Tenure [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Alberta Energy and Minerals
Oil Sands, Coal and Mineral Operations
6th floor, Petroleum Plaza, North Tower
9945 108 Street
Edmonton Alberta T5K 2G6
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Legislation and policies