National Energy Board and B.C. Oil and Gas Commission partner for integrity management workshops

    FORT ST. JOHN, BC, May 13 /CNW/ - The National Energy Board (NEB) is
partnering with the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) to deliver workshops in
Fort St. John and Victoria on pipeline integrity management programs and
pipeline pigging.
    "The NEB and OGC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this past
December to improve pipeline safety and provide opportunities for further
regulatory efficiency," says NEB Chair Gaétan Caron. "We are working together
to make improvements by holding the integrity management and pigging workshops
across western Canada."
    Provincial and federal governments, as well as several industry
representatives, expressed the need for a more efficient regulatory system
that reduces the amount of overlap and duplication between regulators. The NEB
and OGC, along with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy & Resources (ER) and
the Manitoba Public Utilities Board (MPUB) are taking steps towards achieving
this through the development of the workshops.
    "The BC Oil and Gas Commission continually reaches out to communities
providing education on the role of the regulator," said OGC Commissioner Alex
Ferguson. "As such, we are pleased to offer the British Columbia workshop with
our colleagues at the NEB."
    The goal of the integrity workshops is to discuss the current state of
the industry, outline the elements of an effective integrity management plan,
discuss regulatory requirements and have an open forum about industry best
practices. The pigging forum will allow participants to share best practices
on existing pipeline inspections that use pigging, as well as guidelines for
making further improvements to effective pigging programs.
    Workshops will be held in Fort St. John, Victoria, Lloydminster, Calgary,
Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Grand Prairie, Bonnyville and Estevan to educate
and engage the public. The workshops were developed in response to industry
requests across western and central Canada.
    The sessions are open to all interested parties, but attendance will be
capped at 75 participants per session. Please visit: www.neb-one.gc.ca and
click on "Safety" then "Pipeline Integrity Workshops and Pigging Forum -
register online" to register.

    The NEB is an independent federal agency that regulates several parts of
Canada's energy industry. Its purpose is to promote safety and security,
environmental protection, and efficient energy infrastructure and markets in
the Canadian public interest, within the mandate set by Parliament in the
regulation of pipelines, energy development and trade.

    The B.C. Oil and Gas Commission is an independent, single-window
regulator of oil and gas activities within the Province of British Columbia.
OGC has regulatory responsibility for industry activity from the exploration
and development phases, through to facilities operation and decommissioning.
It is charged with balancing a broad range of environmental, economic and
social considerations. Among its more specific objectives are public safety,
conservation of petroleum resources, fostering a healthy environment, and
equitable participation in production.

    Workshop locations and information

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    Location            Date          Time                   Venue
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    Fort St. John, BC   May 21 - 22   8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  Super 8 Hotel -
                                                             9500 Alaska Road
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    Victoria, BC        May 28 - 29   8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  Traveller's
                                                             Vacation Inn
                                                             Hotel &
                                                             Conference
                                                             Centre - 3020
                                                             Douglas Street
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Other workshops will be held in Lloydminster, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina,
Grand Prairie, Bonnyville and Estevan in the Fall. Registration for those
workshops will open in July.

For further information: Lee Shanks (lee.shanks@gov.bc.ca), Manager,
External Relations and Communications, B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, Telephone:
(250) 261-2097; Lauren Hopkins (lauren.hopkins@neb-one.gc.ca), Communications
Officer, National Energy Board, Telephone: (403) 299-3712