Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB)
Delivering on its regulatory mandate with help from MapGuide®
The Energy Resources Conservation Board is an agency of the Government of Alberta which regulates the development of energy resources (i.e. oil, natural gas, oil sands, coal, and pipelines). ERCB regulates thousands of natural gas and oil wells and batteries, plants and other facilities, as well as 392,000 km of pipelines, 12 producing coalmines, and 38 commercial oil sands plants. ERCB had outsourced their Board Order System to provide 2D mapping of reserves such as oil and gas fields, pools, and strike areas.
Challenge
The BOS host went out of business and a new system provider was needed—fast. Expanded functionality was also needed to meet the Board’s expanded responsibilities.
Solution
Pacific Alliance Technologies was contracted to host BOS, providing hardware and software. MapGuide was selected as a low-cost tool for deploying web-mapping applications: it works easily with multiple data types and provides quick ways to query, analyze and distribute data from spatial and non-spatial databases and files.
“Pacific AllianceTechnologies’ client dedication and our strong working relationship with them, makes doing business with them a pleasure.” – Wayne Elsner, Senior Geologist, ERCB.
Results
The BOS system was stabilized shortly after Pacific Alliance Technologies began hosting it. With Map- Guide’s proven technology, web access to key data allowed ERCB to support its regulatory responsibilities over Alberta’s vast and valuable resources. Added features and data gave the Board and public increased access to key data for all resources under the Board’s jurisdiction.
ERCB realized significant efficiencies in processing data change orders. Previously, 4-5 people processed 200-350 manual orders monthly. With MapGuide’s GIS solution, only one person is needed to process over 1000 monthly orders. Combining efficient update capabilities with access to more data, MapGuide delivers a faster and easier way to view and query crucial spatial information.
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