Alberta Oilfield Data Sources — Complete Reference Guide

Overview of the Alberta Well Data Landscape

Alberta has one of the most comprehensive public oilfield data ecosystems in the world. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), the province, and federal agencies publish well records, production data, pipeline information, facility details, and regulatory filings that are freely accessible to anyone. This data covers hundreds of thousands of wells, thousands of operators, and decades of activity.

The challenge is not access — it is navigation. Our data sources and methodology guide helps you navigate this landscape. Alberta oilfield data is spread across multiple agencies, formats, and update schedules. Each source was designed for a specific regulatory or reporting purpose, not for business development. Understanding what each source contains, how it is structured, its update frequency, and its limitations is essential for building a reliable research workflow.

This guide maps every major Alberta oilfield data source, explains what each one contains, compares them side by side, and helps you decide which source to use for which purpose. Whether you are an oilfield service company researching operators, a supplier mapping your market, or a consultant building a client pipeline, this reference covers the full landscape.

AER (Alberta Energy Regulator) Data

The AER is the primary regulatory body for oil and gas in Alberta. It publishes the most authoritative well data, operator information, and regulatory filings in the province. AER data is the foundation for nearly all Alberta well research.

AER Website

The AER website (aer.ca) provides access to well data files, regulatory directives, public notices, and filing systems. Key resources include well data downloads (including the ST37 dataset), regulatory directive documents, public notices of hearings and decisions, and the OneStop filing system for operator submissions.

The AER website is the authoritative source for regulatory information, but it is organized primarily for regulatory compliance rather than business research. Navigating it requires familiarity with AER terminology, directive numbers, and filing systems.

AER ST37 Well Records

ST37 is the core well dataset published by the AER. It contains public Alberta well records with dozens of fields covering well identification, status, operator information, location, well type, drilling dates, and classification details.

ST37 is available for download from both the AER website and the Alberta Open Data portal. The file can be large — often hundreds of thousands of rows. It is updated periodically, not in real time. Users should always check the source for the current update date before relying on the data for outreach.

Other AER Well Data Files

Beyond ST37, the AER publishes additional well-related datasets. These include well licence data (permit conditions and regulatory activity), well test data (pressure and flow test results), directional survey data (wellbore trajectory information), and casing and cementing data (well construction details). Each dataset adds context that ST37 alone does not provide.

AER Regulatory Filings

The AER's filing system contains regulatory submissions from operators. These filings include abandonment applications, suspension notices, licence transfers, well reviews, and environmental assessments. Recent filings can indicate upcoming activity — an abandonment application signals that work is planned; a licence transfer suggests an ownership change; a well review may indicate recompletion planning.

Filings are accessible through the AER's public notice system and OneStop. They are organized by regulatory proceeding type rather than by operator or geography, which means finding relevant filings for a specific operator or region requires targeted searching.

AER Production Data

The AER publishes monthly production data for Alberta wells through its production reporting system. This data covers oil, gas, and condensate volumes on a well-by-well basis. Production data is useful for understanding a well's economic performance, identifying wells whose production is declining, and assessing operator revenue potential.

Production data is reported by operators and published with a lag. It is available through the AER and also through Petrinex (discussed below). For business research, production data adds economic context to the status and location information in ST37.

Petrinex Public Data

Petrinex is a joint venture of the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments that manages the collection and distribution of oil and gas production data for both provinces. It is the authoritative source for production volumes, well performance data, and related economic indicators.

What Petrinex Contains

Petrinex provides well-level production data including monthly oil, gas, and condensate volumes, well status and activity codes, operator identification, and well location information. The data covers active, inactive, and abandoned wells with historical records going back decades.

How to Access Petrinex

Petrinex data is available through a public query interface and through bulk data downloads. The public interface allows searching by well identifier, operator, or location. Bulk downloads are available for researchers who need to work with large datasets programmatically.

Petrinex vs AER Production Data

Both Petrinex and the AER publish production data, but they serve slightly different purposes. Petrinex is the primary collection and distribution system for production volumes. The AER publishes production data in the context of regulatory reporting and compliance. For most business research purposes, the two sources are complementary, and Petrinex is the more convenient source for well-level production queries.

Alberta Open Data Portal

The Alberta Open Data portal (open.alberta.ca) is the provincial government's platform for publishing public datasets. It hosts a wide range of oilfield-related data, including well records, pipeline data, facility information, land use data, and environmental monitoring data.

Oilfield Datasets on Open Data

Key oilfield datasets available through Alberta Open Data include the ST37 well dataset (same data as AER, often with API access), well licence data, pipeline network data, facility location data, and environmental monitoring data. The portal provides both downloadable files and API endpoints for programmatic access.

Advantages of Open Data

The Open Data portal offers several advantages for researchers. Bulk downloads are available for large datasets. API access allows automated data retrieval for monitoring and integration workflows. Data is versioned with update timestamps. Documentation and metadata are provided for each dataset. The portal also links to related datasets from other government sources.

Limitations of Open Data

Open Data is a distribution platform, not a research tool. The datasets are published in raw format without built-in search, filtering, or cross-referencing capabilities. Researchers still need to download, clean, and analyze the data using external tools. The portal does not provide the kind of operator context, workflow, or workspace features that business development teams typically need.

AlbertaWellFinder Comparison

AlbertaWellFinder is a well search tool that provides access to Alberta well data. It offers a web-based interface for searching and viewing well records. For researchers comparing available tools, it is worth understanding how AlbertaWellFinder compares to other approaches.

FracturingHub's Approach

FracturingHub is a SaaS research platform built specifically for oilfield service companies, suppliers, and consultants working in Alberta. It ingests public AER data and organizes it into a workspace designed for business development rather than regulatory compliance.

The core difference between FracturingHub and raw data sources is workflow. Raw data tells you what exists. FracturingHub helps you figure out what it means for your business and what to do next.

What FracturingHub Organizes

• Well records — searchable by status, location, operator, well type, and other attributes. No spreadsheet formulas required.
• Operator profiles — view an operator's well portfolio, status distribution, and mapped records in one place.
• Watchlists — monitor specific operators, regions, or well types for changes over time.
• Saved searches — save filter criteria for repeatable research without rebuilding from scratch.
• Workspace notes — attach verification notes, tags, and next actions to operators and wells.
• CSV export — export a clean, research-ready list for CRM import or outreach campaigns.

What FracturingHub Does Not Do

FracturingHub does not replace official AER records, provide real-time data, guarantee completeness or accuracy, or make regulatory decisions. It is a research workspace built on public data. Users should always verify material details against official sources before outreach or decision-making.

Government and Regulatory Sources

Beyond the AER and Open Data, several other government and regulatory sources provide relevant oilfield data:

Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

The CER regulates interprovincial and international pipelines and energy projects. For researchers working across provincial boundaries, CER data provides pipeline and facility information that complements AER well data. The CER's NEB (National Energy Board) archives also contain historical data for projects that predate the current regulatory structure.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

NRCan publishes geological surveys, resource assessments, and energy statistics that provide broader context for Alberta oilfield activity. The Geological Survey of Canada and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (as a model for federal-provincial cooperation) offer data that supplements provincial well records.

Alberta Land Information System (ALIS)

ALIS provides crown land data, mineral rights information, and lease records that are relevant for understanding who has rights to extract resources in specific areas. For researchers investigating operator activity, mineral rights data can indicate where operators hold tenures and where they may be planning future drilling.

Orphan Well Association (OWA)

The OWA publishes information about orphan wells, including well counts by region, remediation status, and procurement opportunities. Service companies interested in orphan well work should monitor OWA tenders and contract opportunities.

Commercial Data Platforms

Several commercial platforms aggregate, enhance, or republish Alberta oilfield data. These platforms add value through improved interfaces, cross-referencing, and workflow features, but they come with subscription costs and varying levels of data freshness.

GeoScout

GeoScout is a commercial well data platform that provides searchable access to Canadian well data, including Alberta records. It offers mapping, filtering, and data export capabilities. GeoScout is widely used by geoscientists, engineers, and land professionals. It provides more comprehensive data coverage than free tools but is designed for technical users rather than sales teams.

IHS Markit (now S&P Global)

S&P Global's energy data products include well data, production data, and operator information for Canadian oilfields. These products are comprehensive and well-indexed but expensive, making them more suitable for large organizations and institutional research than for small service companies.

Spark Energy

Spark Energy provides well data, production data, and mapping tools for Canadian oil and gas. It is used by land professionals, geologists, and engineers who need detailed well and lease information.

FracturingHub

FracturingHub occupies a specific niche among commercial platforms. It is designed for oilfield service companies and sales teams rather than geoscientists or engineers. It focuses on making public AER data actionable for business development — prospecting, account research, opportunity identification, and outreach preparation — rather than providing the technical depth that engineering or geoscience workflows require.

When to Use Which Source

The right data source depends on your specific research task. This decision framework maps common research goals to the most appropriate sources:

Data Quality and Limitations

Every data source has limitations that matter for business research. Understanding these limitations prevents costly mistakes.

Data Freshness

No public oilfield data source updates in real time. ST37 files are updated periodically — check the source for the current update date. Production data lags by months. Regulatory filings appear after they are submitted, but not instantly. Always note the date of the data you are working with and verify critical facts before outreach.

Completeness

Public records may be incomplete. Location coordinates are not available for every well. Operator contact information is not part of well datasets. Production data may exclude certain well types. Status codes may not capture the full nuance of a well's situation. Cross-referencing multiple sources improves completeness.

Accuracy

Public data is reported by operators and processed through regulatory systems. Errors can occur. Operator names may be inconsistent across datasets. Status codes may be ambiguous. Location coordinates may be approximate. Treat public data as a research starting point, not a verified fact.

Format and Accessibility

Raw data files are often in CSV or fixed-width format with technical field names. They require data literacy to work with. API access varies by source. Some datasets are available only as bulk downloads. The format and accessibility of each source affects how efficiently you can incorporate it into your workflow.

Building a Multi-Source Research Workflow

The most effective Alberta oilfield research combines multiple data sources. Here is a practical multi-source workflow:

Step 1: Start with ST37 for Well Identification

Use AER ST37 data to identify wells that match your geographic and status criteria. Group results by operator to build a preliminary prospect list. This is your foundation — the list of wells and operators that warrant further investigation.

Step 2: Add Operator Context

Research each target operator to understand their activity level, geographic focus, well portfolio size, and apparent company profile. Use FracturingHub operator profiles, AER regulatory filings, or manual research to build this context. Operator context separates a list of wells from a list of prospects.

Step 3: Enrich with Production Data

For your highest-priority prospects, check production data through Petrinex or AER production sources. Understanding a well's recent production history adds economic context — a well that was producing strongly six months ago and is now inactive may need different services than one that has been unproductive for years.

Step 4: Check Regulatory Activity

Review recent AER filings for your target operators and wells. Abandonment applications, suspension notices, licence transfers, and well reviews all indicate upcoming activity. Regulatory filings are often the most current signal available in public data.

Step 5: Save and Monitor

Save your research in a centralized location — a CRM, a shared spreadsheet, or a research platform like FracturingHub. Set up monitoring for changes in your target regions and operators. Build a cadence for re-checking your prospect list against updated data.

Step 6: Verify Before Outreach

Before contacting any operator, verify your key assumptions against the most current public records. Confirm the operator identity, well status, location, and any recent changes. A five-minute verification check prevents embarrassing outreach based on outdated information.

Quick Reference: Source Comparison

Best Practices for Working With Alberta Oilfield Data

• Know your source: Always identify where the data came from and when it was last updated. Different sources have different update schedules and reliability levels.
• Cross-reference: No single source tells the complete story. Combine well records, production data, and regulatory filings for a fuller picture.
• Document your research: Save filter criteria, research notes, and source dates. Research that is not documented must be repeated.
• Verify before outreach: Confirm key assumptions against current records before contacting operators. Data can change between your research and your outreach.
• Understand the format: Raw data files use technical field names and codes. Read the data dictionary before interpreting fields.
• Match the tool to the task: Use free public sources for basic research. Use commercial platforms when you need workflow features, saved searches, or team collaboration.