JOINT MANAGEMENT

The Frontier Energy Policy Statement of 1985 forms the basis for the current regulatory framework for all oil and gas activities on the frontier lands.

The current management system for frontier lands oil and gas activity has evolved over the years since the signing of the Atlantic Accord in 1985. At present, the frontier lands management system can be divided into two areas: Non-Accord and Accord Areas.

Non-Accord Areas

Non-Accord areas consist of the North West Territories, Nunavut, the western and northern offshore, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Hudson Bay.

The NEB regulates all oil and gas activities under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act (COGOA) in these areas.

The administration of rights and benefits under the Canada Petroleum Resources Act (CPRA) is carried out by the Northern Oil and Gas Directorate of Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) for the territories and northern offshore areas; and by Frontier Lands Management Division (FLMD) for the remaining Non-Accord areas.

Accord Areas

In Accord areas, which to date include the Newfoundland and Nova Scotia offshore areas, the responsibility for the management of oil and gas activity is jointly shared by the Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Minister responsible for Natural Resources for the respective provinces.

Under the Accord Implementation Acts, the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (CNOPB) and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) manage oil and gas activity on behalf of the ministers.

The CNOPB and CNSOPB are independent Boards, in that their staff are neither federal nor provincial civil servants. However, certain key decisions of these Boards, referred to in the Accord Implementation Acts as "fundamental decisions", are subject to review by the federal and provincial ministers. The ministers are advised on fundamental decisions, as well as on Board management issues such as budgets and appointments, by their respective departments: NRCan, the Newfoundland Department of Mines and Energy, and the Nova Scotia Petroleum Directorate.