17 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations, (a) for the conservation of oil or gas; (a.1) prescribing substances for the purposes of clause (b) of the definition of “well” in subsection 1 (1); (a.2) prescribing substances for the purposes of paragraph 2 of subsection 11 (1); (a.3) prescribing projects, activities or undertakings for the purposes of paragraph 4 of subsection 11 (1); (a.4) prescribing compressed air energy storage projects, or parts or portions of such projects, for the purposes of clause (b.1) of the definition of “well” in subsection 1 (1) and for the purposes of paragraph 5 of subsection 11 (1); (b) prohibiting persons from drilling wells in specified areas and underground geological formations and specifying those areas and formations; (c) prohibiting persons from doing one or more of the following in specified areas and underground geological formations and specifying those areas and formations: 1. Oil or gas production. 2. Storage of oil, gas or other hydrocarbons. 3. Injection of oil, gas, water or other substances into a geological formation in connection with a project for enhancing oil or gas recovery. 4. Disposal of oil field fluid. 5. Solution mining. 6. Carrying out a project, activity or undertaking that involves a substance prescribed under clause (a.1) or (a.2). 7. Carrying out a project, activity or undertaking that is prescribed under clause (a.3). 8. Carrying out a compressed air energy storage project, or the part or portion of such a project, that is prescribed under clause (a.4); Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, clause 17 (1) (c) of the Act is amended by adding the following paragraph: (See: 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (1)) 9. Carrying out a special project designated under section 11.1; (d) regulating the location and spacing of wells; (e) governing applications for the designation by the Minister of a spacing unit or for the amendment or revocation by the Minister of a designation of a spacing unit, including prescribing the requirements that must be met and the procedures that must be followed before the Minister will make, amend or revoke a designation; (e.1) limiting the number of wells in a spacing unit from which a person may produce; (e.2) requiring and governing the joining of interests in oil or gas within a spacing unit or within a unit area containing a pool or an oil or gas field; (e.3) governing orders under section 8; (e.4) governing, (i) agreements respecting the joining of interests in oil or gas within a spacing unit or within a unit area containing a pool or an oil or gas field, and (ii) provisions in other agreements, if those provisions relate to the joining of interests in oil or gas within a spacing unit or within a unit area containing a pool or an oil or gas field; (f) governing the methods, equipment and materials to be used in drilling, completing, operating, servicing or plugging wells; (g) requiring operators to preserve drilling and production samples and cores and to furnish them to persons specified by the regulations; (h) requiring operators to register works with the Ministry, to maintain records relating to the works and to provide the Ministry with reports, returns and other information in such form and manner as the Minister may specify; (i) requiring dry or unplugged wells to be plugged or replugged, and prescribing the methods, equipment and materials to be used in plugging or replugging wells; (j) governing the design, construction, use, operation, abandonment, decommissioning and removal of works, including the methods, materials and equipment used; (k) requiring the examination of works by persons who belong to prescribed classes and have the prescribed evidence of the Minister’s approval for the purposes of examinations of works, and prescribing the times or intervals at which and the manner in which the examinations are to be carried out; (l) governing solution mining activities and the use, abandonment and decommissioning of salt caverns; (m) governing activities for the production or storage of fluids, the injection of fluids into underground geological formations or the withdrawal of fluids from those formations; (n) governing compressed air energy storage. R.S.O. 1990, c. P.12, s. 17 (1); 1994, c. 27, s. 131 (3); 1996, c. 30, s. 68 (1-3); 2002, c. 18, Sched. L, s. 6 (3, 4); 2010, c. 16, Sched. 10, s. 3 (5); 2017, c. 8, Sched. 23, s. 5 (1-6); 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (2). General regulations (2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations, (0.a) governing applications for a licence or permit; (a) providing for the issue and transfer of licences and permits; (b) prescribing classes of licences and permits, and prescribing standard terms and conditions upon which licences and permits may be issued including standard terms and conditions that apply to licences granted under subsection 13 (1.1); (c) prescribing the fee payable for any licence or permit, or in respect of well activities authorized under subsection 10 (1.1); (c.1) prescribing the circumstances in which a person may drill, operate, deepen, alter or enter a well or engage in any other activity on or in a well without a licence under subsection 10 (1.1) and prescribing any qualifications that the person must have and the terms, conditions, restrictions and requirements, if any, under which the person may drill, operate, deepen, alter or enter a well or engage in any other activity on or in a well; (c.2) prescribing the circumstances under which a person may assume the authorization of another person to engage in activities in connection with a well without a licence under subsection 10 (1.1), including the terms, conditions, restrictions and requirements to which the authorization is subject and the qualifications the person must have; (c.3) governing the surrender of licences and permits by holders of licences or permits who are transitioning to an authorization under subsection 10 (1.1) to engage in activities in connection with a well without a licence and prescribing the circumstances in which the surrender may be permitted or required; (c.4) prescribing the circumstances in which a person may apply for a licence under subsection 13 (1.1), as well as the qualifications the person must have and the terms, conditions, duties and liabilities to which the licence is subject; (c.5) governing the development and implementation of plans or procedures for the purposes of paragraph 2 of section 7.0.1.1, including, (i) prescribing timelines for the development and implementation of any plans or procedures, (ii) prescribing the contents of any plans or procedures, and (iii) prescribing processes for the revision of any plans or procedures; (c.6) prescribing other actions that an inspector may order for the purposes of paragraph 6 of section 7.0.1.1; (d) prescribing tags and providing for their use; (e) governing liability insurance required to be carried by operators and governing other financial assurances to be provided by operators; (f) prescribing the amounts or the method of determining the amounts to be paid to the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Trust and prescribing the times within which the amounts shall be paid; (g), (h) Repealed: 1996, c. 30, s. 68 (4). (i) requiring and providing for the keeping of records and the making of returns, statements or reports on geological evaluation or testing wells, and the exploration, leasing, drilling for or production of oil or gas or the storage of oil or gas; (i.1) requiring and providing for the keeping of records and the making of returns, statements or reports for any prescribed compressed air energy storage project, part or portion of such a project, for any project to inject, store or withdraw oil, gas or another prescribed substance, or for any other prescribed project, activity or undertaking; (j) regulating safety standards and requiring and providing for the keeping of safety records and the making of safety returns, statements or reports in respect of geological evaluation or testing wells, and the drilling for, production, storage and measurement of oil or gas; (j.1) regulating safety standards and requiring and providing for the keeping of safety records and the making of safety returns, statements or reports for any prescribed compressed air energy storage project, part or portion of such a project, for any project to inject, store or withdraw oil, gas or another prescribed substance, or for any other prescribed project, activity or undertaking; (j.1.1) governing the format of documents, including notices, applications, reports, records, statements and returns, that are required or permitted to be issued, given, submitted or otherwise provided to a person or entity under this Act, respecting the manner in which they are to be issued, given, submitted or otherwise provided, including by email or the provision of online access, and the time at which they are to be issued, given, submitted or otherwise provided; (j.1.2) prescribing rules relating to the deemed receipt of documents referred to in clause (j.1.1) that are different from the rules set out in subsection 17.1.1 (1); (j.2) exempting any well, pipeline, structure or equipment from the definition of “work” in subsection 1 (1), and providing that the exemption is subject to such conditions as may be specified by regulation; (j.3) exempting any person from subsection 10 (1) in respect of a well whose purpose is a purpose mentioned in clause (e) of the definition of “well” in subsection 1 (1), and providing that the exemption is subject to such conditions as may be specified by regulation; Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, subsection 17 (2) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause: (See: 2019, c. 14, Sched. 15, s. 55 (3)) (j.3.1) prescribing any criteria, conditions restrictions or requirements for the purposes of clause (e) of the definition of “well”, and prescribing the depth of a hole in the ground, its purpose and its location and prescribing any form of geological evaluation or testing in rock that is excluded; (j.4) exempting any person, area, thing, project, activity or undertaking from subsection 11 (1), and providing that the exemption is subject to such conditions as may be specified by regulation; (j.5) defining the terms “abandonment”, “compressed air energy storage”, “decommission”, “decommissioned” and  “decommissioning” for the purposes of this Act and the regulations; (k) for any matter provided in this Act to be done by regulation.  R.S.O. 1990, c. P.12, s. 17 (2); 1996, c. 30, s. 68 (4); 2006, c. 19, Sched. P, s. 4 (12); 2017, c. 8, Sched. 23, s. 5 (7-11); 2019, c. 7, Sched. 43, s. 1; 2019, c. 14, Sched. 15, s. 55 (1, 2); 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (3-5). Transition regulations (2.1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations respecting transitional matters that arise where, as a result of this Act having been amended or a regulation being made under subsection (1) or (2), all or part of the Act and the regulations will apply to a specified type of project, activity, undertaking or work to which the Act and regulations did not previously apply, including exempting from any provision of the Act or the regulations a person or entity who is engaged in the specified type of project, activity, undertaking or work, at the time the regulation is made. 2019, c. 14, Sched. 15, s. 55 (4); 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (6). Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, section 17 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections: (See: 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (7)) Regulations relating to special projects (2.2) The Minister may make regulations governing special projects designated under section 11.1 including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) prescribing such matters as are required, or permitted, under sections 11.1 to 11.6, to be prescribed or done by regulation; (b) defining, for the purposes of sections 11.1 to 11.6, any term that is not defined in this Act; (c) providing for the amendment of the designation of a special project; (d) governing applications for a licence or permit relating to a special project; (e) providing for the issue and transfer of licences and permits relating to a special project; (f) prescribing terms or conditions that a licence or permit relating to a special project shall be subject to; (g) exempting any well, pipeline, structure or equipment to be used in a special project from the definition of “work” in subsection 1 (1), and providing that the exemption is subject to such conditions as may be specified by regulation; (h) governing the design, construction, use, operation, abandonment, decommissioning and removal of works used in a special project, including the methods, materials and equipment used; (i) requiring operators of works used in a special project to comply with or follow specified requirements or processes, including safety standards; (j) providing that specified requirements in this Act or the regulations do not apply to works used in special projects in specified circumstances; (k) governing the methods, equipment and materials to be used in drilling, completing, operating or servicing wells to be used in a special project or in plugging wells that were used in a special project; (l) requiring persons to whom a designation of a special project is issued under section 11.1 or operators of works used in a special project to preserve drilling and production samples and cores and to furnish them to persons specified by the regulations; (m) requiring persons to whom a designation of a special project is issued under section 11.1 or operators of works used in a special project to, (i) register works with the Ministry, (ii) maintain records relating to the works, and (iii) provide the Ministry with reports, returns and other information in such form and manner as the Minister may specify; (n) requiring the examination of works used in a special project by persons who belong to prescribed classes and have the prescribed evidence of the Minister’s approval for the purposes of examinations of works, and prescribing the times or intervals at which and the manner in which the examinations are to be carried out; (o) governing liability or other insurance required to be carried by persons to whom a designation of a special project is issued under section 11.1 or by operators of works used in a special project and governing other financial assurances to be provided by those persons or operators; (p) exempting any special project from paragraph 6 of subsection 11 (1), and providing that the exemption is subject to such conditions as may be specified by regulation; (q) respecting any matter that the Minister considers necessary or advisable to protect public safety or the environment in connection with sections 11.1 to 11.6 or any part of this Act relating to special projects. 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (7). Conflicts (2.3) Regulations made under subsection (1), (2) or (2.1) may apply with respect to a special project designated under section 11.1 but in the event of a conflict between regulations made under subsection (1), (2) or (2.1) and regulations made under subsection (2.2), the regulations made under subsection (2.2) prevail. 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (7). Scope of regulations (3) Any regulation may be general or particular in its application.  R.S.O. 1990, c. P.12, s. 17 (3). (4) Repealed:  2000, c. 26, Sched. L, s. 8 (1). Adoption by reference (5) A regulation may adopt by reference, in whole or in part, with such changes as the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary, any code, standard or guideline, as it reads at the time the regulation is made or as amended from time to time.  1999, c. 12, Sched. N, s. 5 (4). Note: On a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor, subsection 17 (5) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted: (See: 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (8)) Adoption by reference — regulations made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (5) A regulation made under subsection (1), (2) or (2.1) may adopt by reference, in whole or in part, with such changes as the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary, any code, standard or guideline, as it reads at the time the regulation is made or as amended from time to time. 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (8). Adoption by reference — regulations made by the Minister (6) A regulation made under subsection (2.2) may adopt by reference, in whole or in part, with such changes as the Minister considers necessary, any code, standard or guideline, as it reads at the time the regulation is made or as amended from time to time. 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (8). Section Amendments with date in force (d/m/y) 1994, c. 27, s. 131 (3) - 09/12/1994; 1996, c. 30, s. 68 (1-4) - 27/06/1997; 1999, c. 12, Sched. N, s. 5 (4) - 22/12/1999 2000, c. 26, Sched. L, s. 8 (1) - 06/12/2000 2002, c. 18, Sched. L, s. 6 (3, 4) - 26/11/2002 2006, c. 19, Sched. P, s. 4 (12) - 22/06/2006 2010, c. 16, Sched. 10, s. 3 (5) - 25/10/2010 2017, c. 8, Sched. 23, s. 5 (1-11) - 17/05/2017 2019, c. 7, Sched. 43, s. 1 - 29/05/2019; 2019, c. 14, Sched. 15, s. 55 (1, 2, 4) - 10/12/2019; 2019, c. 14, Sched. 15, s. 55 (3) - not in force 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (1, 7, 8) - not in force; 2023, c. 9, Sched. 23, s. 11 (2-6) - 08/06/2023