The first year of a program aimed to conduct abandonment and reclamation work at inactive oil and gas wells across Saskatchewan is being hailed as a success. The Accelerated Site Closure Program has seen more than 500 companies in the province receive $184 million for the work.  

The two-year program was launched last May. The two-year program is receiving $400 million in funding from the federal government through the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan and is overseen by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resourced and delivered in a partnership with the Saskatchewan Research Council.  

"This program has helped to create and maintain oil and gas service sector jobs and sustain the overall health of Saskatchewan's energy sector during a very challenging time," Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre said in a written release. "The ASCP, which builds on the work that Saskatchewan was already doing in this area, is a major economic stimulus program that is also good for the environment." 

"Working with Minister Eyre and the Government of Saskatchewan, this program kept workers on the job this past year during the pandemic," Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O'Regan Jr. added in the release.  "We're cleaning up our environment, and supporting the hardworking men and women in our oil and gas sector - including in First Nations and Métis communities." 

More than $61 million dollars has been paid out for work already completed. This includes 1,385 well abandonments and decommissions, 237 flowline abandonments, 13 facilities and 2,545 remediation and reclamation activities. The funding has been spread throughout the province, with the Lloydminster and Estevan areas receiving the lion’s share at $60,579,289 and $49,513,766 respectively. Another $36,714,611 has gone to the Swift Current area and $27,863,467 to the Kindersley area.