Mel Knight
Alberta Minister of Energy

Alberta’s open and competitive system for leasing petroleum, natural gas and oil sands rights is the foundation of the successful energy industry in our province. Long-term plan The first step in the long-term plan for the exploration and development of our energy resources is the public offering or sale process. Acquiring mineral rights allows companies to start their long-term plans for the future, but does not guarantee that exploration or development will proceed. Two owners of property in Alberta There are two owners of property in Alberta. The surface title holder owns the surface land and substances such as soil, sand and gravel. The mineral title holder owns minerals found on and under the property, such as oil, natural gas and coal. In Alberta, 81 per cent of the mineral rights are owned by the Crown – in other words, by all Albertans. Our prosperity and a high quality of life is, in large part, due to the development of these energy mineral resources. Upon request by a company or individual registered to do business in the province, Alberta Energy determines whether the mineral rights are available, and if so, refers the proposal to the Crown Mineral Disposition Review Committee. This cross-government committee consists of representatives from the Alberta Departments of Sustainable Resource Development; Environment; Agriculture and Food; Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture; Municipal Affairs and Housing; Energy; and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. The committee reviews all requests and recommends whether or not mineral rights are granted, and with or without access restrictions. As part of the process, the committee assesses major surface or environmental concerns that have been previously identified, and which may affect surface access for exploration and development. Industry is responsible for assessing any potential restrictions by municipal governments, public interest groups or private landowners. If the requestor wishes to proceed, the rights are offered for sale and posted on the Alberta Energy website eight weeks before the sale. The highest bidder in the sale wins the right to develop the resource for a set term, but may do so only after all environmental and other regulatory approvals are received. All information related to the sale, including the purchaser and the amount paid, is published on the Alberta Energy website. Prior to and during any exploration or development of resources, a number of government departments and agencies provide checks and balances to ensure that it occurs in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. All Albertans reap the rewards from the public offering of resource rights, with $2.4 billion in land sale bonuses collected last year alone. Like royalties, these funds are critical to delivering priority programs and services in this province, such as health, education and infrastructure development. Reduced speed limit Motorists who frequent the highway are reminded to pay close attention to reduced speed limit construction signs and slow down when approaching Watino from either side of the roadway. “We’re requesting the cooperation of drivers to help ensure the safety of construction workers and the traveling public,” Saunders says. The existing bridge – completed in 1950 at a cost of $841,000 – will be disassembled and removed from the site by Sept. 15 of 2010.

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