Access to information or well material

Well operators are required to collect and submit material from wells they drill on frontier lands. It is then collected is then stored at various facilities across Canada. Below is information to help you better understand where and how you can access these materials.

Request to examine well material

Those wanting to study or sample well materials from a frontier well that is under the CER’s jurisdiction will need to follow Studying and Sampling Well Materials from Frontier Wells

Where samples are stored

The Geological Survey of Canada stores most of the well samples from wells drilled on frontier lands and regulated by the CER (or its predecessors) at its facility in Calgary, Alberta. Some samples from areas along the eastern coast of Canada that are under federal jurisdiction, such the Gulf of St. Lawrence, are stored at their facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

We manage samples from:

  • the Inuvialuit Settlement Region
  • the Norman Wells Proven Area (Northwest Territories)
  • sites that were not part of the Northwest Territories devolution in 2014
  • the Canadian Arctic offshore
  • the Hudson, James, and Ungava bays
  • Nunavut
  • parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
  • the British Columbia offshore

Related documents

See our section on the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act for a full list of related regulations and guidance.

Records from geophysical (seismic) programs or the drilling of a well

Information or documentation obtained because of work or activities done under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act or the Oil and Gas Operations Act that can be disclosed are available through the Frontier Information Office of the CER Library.

Please book an appointment before coming to view or copy any such information.

Who manages samples for other areas

Northwest Territories
  • Where samples are stored: Samples are stored at the Geological Survey of Canada’s facility in Calgary, Alberta
  • Where samples are from: Many well cuttings and samples are stored here, but we are responsible for those from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, the Norman Wells Proven Area, and any sites that were not part of the Northwest Territories devolution in 2014. Approval from the CER is required to view samples from these areas.
  • Information management: The Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations (OROGO) manages information, documentation, or physical samples for most of the Northwest Territories. It manages what has been obtained from work or activities carried out under the Oil and Gas Operations Act. Most information, documentation, and samples available pre-date the OROGO and may have been collected under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act or older statutes. Most are available electronically in PDF format.
Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area
  • Where samples are stored: The Core Storage and Research Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Where samples are from: The Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area. This offshore area is defined under the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act.
  • Information management: Information, documentation, and physical samples from work or activities carried out under the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act are managed by the Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOBP). Some information, documentation, and samples pre-date the C-NLOBP and may have been collected under COGOA or older statutes.
Nova Scotia offshore area
  • Where samples are stored: The Geoscience Research Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The facility is managed by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB).
  • Where samples are from:
    • CNSOPB-regulated areas: The Nova Scotia offshore area. The Nova Scotia offshore area is defined in schedule 1 of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act.
    • CER-regulated areas: Federal areas of the Hudson Bay, Eastern Arctic offshore, and parts of Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy (some samples from these regions may also be at the Geological Survey of Canada’s facility in Calgary, Alberta). Approval is needed from the CER before samples from federal areas can be viewed.
  • Information management: Information, documentation, and physical samples from work or activities carried out under the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act are managed by the CNSOPB. Some information, documentation, and samples pre-date the CNSOPB and may have been collected under COGOA or older statutes.
Yukon
  • Where samples are stored: the Geological Survey of Canada facility in Calgary, Alberta
  • Where samples are from: The Yukon Territory. Approval is needed from Yukon Oil and Gas to access samples from wells in the Yukon Territory.
  • Information management: Information, documentation, and physical samples from work or activities carried out under the Yukon Oil and Gas Act are managed by Yukon Oil and Gas. Some information, documentation, and samples pre-date the Yukon devolution and may have been collected under COGOA or older statutes. (may be available electronically)
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