The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for the management of oil, natural gas, salt-solution mining and underground storage resources in the Province. Under this authority, the Ministry regulates both onshore and offshore exploration, development, and production of these resources as well as abandonment and reclamation ensuring activities are conducted in a safe, efficient and orderly manner. Under Part IV of the Mining Act, the Ministry also manages Crown land tenure for these resources.
Find out more about MNR's role...
The Resources
Oil, gas and salt resources can be found trapped underground in layers of ancient sedimentary rock which underlie all of southern Ontario, the Ottawa area, and large parts of Ontario’s far north.
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Rules and Regulated Activities
Regulated activities take place on both Crown land and private (or freehold) lands. The Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act is the primary legislation governing the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas, storage of hydrocarbons in geological formations and mining of salt by the solution-mining method.
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In September 2012, the Ministry of Natural Resources has developed a new policy for licensing existing private natural gas wells that were drilled prior to 1997. Since these wells produce a lower volume of gas and operate at much lower pressures they generally have lower risks than commercial wells. The policy sets requirements that reflect the nature of these risks.
More information is available on the Private Gas Well webpage
