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Pipeline Licensing

Information on pipeline licensing, approvals and auditing can be found below:

  1. Guidance
  2. Eligibility
  3. How to Apply
  4. Apply
  5. Further Information
  6. Pipeline Safety and Loss Management System Audit

1. Guidance

Application requirements can be found in Chapter 5 of Directive PNG034.

Legislative Requirements

The following documents provide legal authority to regulate the design, construction, operation, discontinuation and abandonment of oil, natural gas and other pipelines in accordance with the latest CSA (Canadian Standards Association) Z662, for Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems:

It is recommended that you become familiar with these materials prior to initiating pipeline or flowline applications.

Licensing Requirements

The deadline to retroactively license designated pipelines passed on January 20, 2024.

Any existing designated pipeline not licensed by January 20, 2024, may be subject to administrative penalties under The Pipelines Act, 1998 and the PALR.

Pipeline operators shall self-disclose any unlicensed designated pipelines that are discovered by promptly notifying the ER Service Desk. In which case, 90 days will be provided to retroactively license the pipeline in IRIS. Persons shall also notify the ER Service Desk of any discovered unlicensed pipelines belonging to another operator or of unknown ownership. The Retroactive Licensing Template to bulk upload applications into IRIS will remain available for the foreseeable future.

Routine and Non-Routine Pipeline Licence Applications

Pipeline licence applications are determined to be either routine or non-routine by IRIS:

  • Routine: No risk rules were triggered by the application. Upon submission, the applicant has immediate approval to begin field work related to the approval.
  • Non Routine: Data in the application triggered one or more risk rules, meaning that the application requires additional review by a subject matter expert before a determination is made.

Retroactive Pipeline Licence Review

As part of its ongoing compliance verification efforts, the ministry has undertaken reviews on the submission of retroactive pipeline submissions. The purpose of these reviews is to identify data anomalies in submissions to maintain data integrity as well as to identify potential issues so that licensees can avoid these issues in future submissions. Review criteria has been provided to assist licence holders to address identified data integrity issues.

2. Eligibility

Before submitting an application in IRIS, applicants must:

  • Have an Integrated Resource Information System (IRIS) account and the appropriate permissions assigned by your Security Administrator to submit a pipeline licence application.
  • Be registered with Information Services Corporation (ISC) as a corporation to do business in Saskatchewan.
  • Obtain any other approvals needed from government agencies or ministries relating to the design, construction and operation of a proposed pipeline.

3. How to Apply

To apply for a pipeline licence:

  • Ensure you meet all eligibility requirements.
  • Log in to IRIS and complete the pipeline licence application process.

4. Apply

IRIS Login

5. Further Information

Detailed information on Pipeline Licensing

For more information:

  • The Pipeline Licensing User Manual provides the applicant information on how the IRIS pipeline module works, data required, risk rules, disclosure questions, attachments and how to populate the available templates (if applicable) for each pipeline business process.
  • Licence transfers applications for Flowlines/Pipelines, Wells, and Facilities are now completed in IRIS. For detailed information please refer to the Application to Transfer Well, Facility, Pipeline and Flowline Licences webpage.
  • The Pipeline Licensing Online Learning is a tool that outlines step by step how to complete each pipeline application and reporting process in IRIS.
  • The List of Licensed Pipelines in Saskatchewan is a monthly extract that provides information on pipeline licences and their associated segments.
  • The Well List provides surface locations information on all wells licensed in the province. This information can be used as a starting point for retroactive licensing of flowlines.
  • IRIS Help Screens are available for each business process found in IRIS.

Spatial Map

The Spatial Map enhances the interactive map-based experience for pipeline activities in the IRIS system with the following highlights:

  • Provides a GIS Map screen within the IRIS application for authenticated IRIS users.
  • Map viewer can be accessed from the main menu in IRIS.
  • Map layers panel allows you to effectively switch from one layer to another.
  • Leverages the Enterprise GIS (eGIS) data warehouse for the display of spatial features.
  • For specifically configured layers, provides context-sensitive action links that navigate users to existing screens within the IRIS application.
  • Provides most standard industry mapping tools: pan, zoom, feature selection, feature query, measurements to name a few.

Further information and assistance for the new mapping feature can be found in the Spatial Map Help Document.

Saskatchewan GeoPlanner

The GeoPlanner tool is a web-enabled geo-spatial planning and decision tool that identifies base, site sensitive features from multiple ministries and agencies data, to assist with pre-planning and development of oil and gas wells, pipelines and facilities. It provides users the ability to view and map their proposed project and generate a report that lists potential areas of concern to be addressed or that may require additional approval(s) or other land uses requiring provincial government approvals.

Saskatchewan GeoAtlas

The Saskatchewan Mining and Petroleum GeoAtlas application is intended to provide a portal to public geoscience, minerals- and petroleum-related information.

6. Pipeline Safety and Loss Management System Audit

Pipeline licensees are required to implement a safety and loss management system (SLMS), as described in The Pipelines Act, 1998, Directive PNG034: Saskatchewan Pipelines Code, and CSA Z662: Oil and gas pipeline systems standard, Clause 3. SLMS programs provide a framework for licensees to manage pipeline lifecycle activities from design to abandonment in a safe and effective manner without compromising property or the environment. The SLMS program is flexible, and the licensee can scale their programs based on size, operational complexity and organizational needs. The program still must satisfy legislative and CSA Z662 requirements.

When applying for a pipeline licence, licensees declare that they have a SLMS program. The Ministry of Energy and Resources conducts audits on SLMS programs to ensure these programs are compliant with the CSA standard and regulatory requirements.

The SLMS audit program is divided into four phases:

Prioritization and Selection

To determine which licensees will be audited within the fiscal year, the following performance and inherent risk factors are considered:

  • Pipeline specifications
  • Pipeline operating parameters
  • Inspection results
  • Obligation compliance results
  • Incident history

Planning and Preparation

The ministry notifies selected licensees by email. This includes a notification letter, a self-assessment form, information request and audit protocol. The selected licensee must submit the completed self-assessment and information request documents within the timeframe specified. The ministry's approach for this process is collaborative. If there are any questions or concerns, or if licensee needs more direction or information during the audit process, the ministry's contact information is in the notification letter.

  • The self-assessment form contains questions about integrity management, operations, maintenance and emergency response programs. The selected licensee must provide a written response to the ministry for review prior to the audit session. This helps the ministry understand the current state of the licensee’s SLMS.
  • The information request contains a list of documents that the licensee shall submit for the ministry's review as part of audit request. The requested documents include program manuals, processes, procedures, reports, data, etc. The requested documents can vary for each auditee, based on the audit scope.
  • The audit protocol lists the requirements of an SLMS from CSA Z662. The requirements are divided into elements. All elements are expected to be covered in a licensee’s SLMS program.
  • The audit scope is variable and is based on a licensee’s size and complexity of operations.
  • An audit plan is shared with the auditee prior to the audit sessions. The audit plan includes:
    • Location of the audit session
    • Time of the audit session
    • Agenda of the audit session

Session and Reporting

The audit session includes discussion, demonstrations and site tour(s) where the auditee will demonstrate their SLMS programs. Audit sessions are scheduled to be one to three days and are usually scheduled from May to October.

Once the audit session is complete, the ministry writes a draft audit report. It summarizes the audit and captures any findings and observations identified during the audit process. The licensee will have an opportunity to provide comment on the draft report before it is finalized.

Follow-up and Closure

The licensee is required to submit a corrective action plan (CAP) to address the findings found in the audit report. Following the ministry approval of the CAP, there will be follow-up meetings scheduled quarterly, or as needed, until the ministry is satisfied that all findings have been addressed.

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