The City of Medicine Hat is rolling back its oilfield activity.
Officials say after an extensive four-year process to find efficiencies and new opportunities in a depressed oil and gas market, the City has decided to accelerate abandonment and reclamation of uneconomic gas fields.
By the end of 2022, it’s expected that over 2,000 currently producing wells will be abandoned.
The City says as activity decreases, there will be a staffing impact in Natural Gas and Petroleum Resources (NGPR) and they’ll be working to redeploy affected employees where possible.
Oil field production will continue at the still-profitable Northeast gas field.
Residential and business gas supply will not be affected.
Commissioner of Energy and Utilities, Brad Maynes, says “we’ll always be the Gas City. It’s an integral piece of our history and the City’s oil and gas accomplishments will leave a lasting legacy for generations. Over the past forty years, the City’s oil and gas assets provided over $600 million to the City coffers. We can’t overlook that success.”
The issue will be further discussed at the next Council Meeting on September 16.
