[...]... worked for the Board throughout the years The book has the potential to play another role for current employees of the Board, particularly those who have joined the organization in recent years The awareness of the important role played by the Board in the early development of oil and gas policy and of the problems it faced will undoubtedly increase their understanding of the organization and their pride... regulatory decisions of the ERCB and its predecessors, the Oil and Gas Conservation Board and, before that, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board, have had a far- — XIX PREFACE reaching local and national importance, this has been almost ignored in the literature on the petroleum industry and energy policy Among the few to present a general history of Alberta's petroleum industry, Eric Hanson... general meaning, "conservation" has also retained a more precise usage The confusion that surrounds the purpose and activities of petroleum conservation agencies stems in good part from the different meanings ascribed to the word "conservation" by the public, the petroleum industry and economists The popular notion of conservation is rooted in the traditional credo that emerged at the turn of the century... passing reference to the Conservation Board. 3 His study offers a useful summary of how the Board operated during the 1950s, but there is no attempt to understand the Board within the context of the political and economic forces that brought about its creation and shaped its evolution Although there is no discussion of either alternative approaches or analysis of the consequences of Board actions, it must... passed over the seemingly tedious landscape of the regulators and fixed their gaze upon an apparently more colourful topography peopled by roughnecks and entrepreneurs.6 Such accounts of the petroleum industry might have colour and drama, but they present a partial picture only Along with the oil barons and politicians, the various chairmen of the Conservation Board must be considered among the principal... in the history of the Alberta oil industry With little or no attention focused upon the regulatory environment or upon the regulators, the written history of the petroleum industry and our understanding of it remain incomplete Given the singular importance of the Board' s role, what explains its nearly nonexistent profile, even within the more serious and XX — PREFACE analytical literature on the petroleum. .. one of the critical elements of any comprehensive history of the Alberta petroleum industry The organization, pattern and pace of the industry' s development in Alberta over the past half century have been influenced by the policies of this Board Moreover, the impact of Board decisions has extended well beyond the immediate confines of the petroleum industry It is clear that this agency is one of the most... FOREWORD THE PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS CONSERVATION BOARD Was created in 1938 Its responsibilities have since been expanded to all types of energy resources, and it is now known as the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) The occasion of the organization's fiftieth anniversary caused many of us to think about the significant role that the Board has played in the development of the province's energy industry. .. 1971 as the Oil and Gas Conservation Board (OGCB), stems directly from the key role that it has played in the Canadian energy sector Curiously, the Board remains little known, and even in its home province the true nature of the Board' s responsibilities is not well understood outside industry circles The ERCB'S importance and its prescribed role are largely defined by the unique characteristics of the. .. conservation and to the 1938 legislation that established the Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board Part II begins with a close look at the regulatory foundation established during the Board' s formative years before the Leduc oil discovery in 1947 This discussion is followed by an examination of the Conservation Board' s role during the critical first decade of Alberta's post-Leduc oil boom, when the Board . H. Alberta's petroleum industry and the Conservation Board Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-88864-245-8 I. Petroleum industry and . Calgary. Although the regulatory decisions of the ERCB and its predeces- sors, the Oil and Gas Conservation Board and, before that, the Pe- troleum and