Naming Process for Federal Permit System (FPS) Survey Grids and Wells

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) regulates oil and gas exploration and production work or activities on non-Accord federal lands across Canada under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act or the Northwest Territories Oil and Gas Operations Act as illustrated in the map below. Such work or activities often require a surveyed location description. The FPS uses a set of survey grids that have east and west boundaries every 10 minutes of latitude and a width of 15 minutes of longitude (south of 70 degrees North) that changes to 30 minutes (north of 70 degrees North). Each survey grid is further subdivided into sections and units.

Lands where the CER has jurisdiction over oil and gas work or activities

View larger PDF version [PDF 1237 KB]

Survey grid names

The CER uses a systematic naming system for survey grids and wells to prevent duplication of names. The following guidance is intended to provide a means to identify an existing named survey grid or propose a name for an unnamed survey grid. A grid name is then incorporated into a well’s name to more easily define wells drilled in grid areas.

The CER survey grid table [EXCEL 961 KB] has been provided with all known grid names. The grid table is based on reference to the northeast corner of each grid. If there is an unnamed survey grid that an applicant is planning to drill in, the CER recommends asking local residents, as early as possible, for an appropriate name. The name should be checked against the existing table to avoid duplication of names. This name can then be forwarded to the Chief Conservation Officer (CCO) for inclusion into the table. Changes to the table will occur without notice.

Well names

Once an appropriate survey grid name is identified, the name should be included as part of the proposed well’s name to be drilled within that survey grid. Early in the planning process, an applicant is encouraged to confirm, with the CCO, that the proposed section and unit to be used in a well name is appropriately named. This confirmation would rely on the latitude and longitude provided to the CER.