Alberta paid $14 million in rent on behalf of delinquent oil companies in 2022. The government is supposed to recoup that money from companies but data shows debt collection remains below one per cent. Apparently, in the petro-province of Alberta, a landowner must grant access to their property for oil and gas exploration, for which they than receive annual compensation. If the well is abandoned or the rent is otherwise deemed uncollectible, financial responsibility falls to the taxpayers. With the current number of abandoned wells in Alberta alone hovering around 75,000 there are certain to be massive unfunded liabilities coming due.
