Active operating licences

Companies need to apply for an operating licence from us before they can do any oil or gas exploration and production related work or activity in an area of the north or offshore where the CER has regulatory responsibilities.

  • geophysical operations
  • drilling a well or changing the condition of a well
  • building and operating facilities
  • production
  • abandonment
List of operators (2023 to 2024)
Companies holding an operating license for 2023 to 2024 (COCOGA)
Operating Licence (COGOA) Company
1201 Explor Geophysical Ltd.
1208 Imperial Oil Resources Limited
1210 Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited
1212 ExxonMobil Canada Ltd.
1216 Chevron Canada Limited
1222 Canadian Natural Resources Limited
1239 SHIHA Energy Transmission Ltd.
Companies holding an operating license for 2021 to 2022 (OGOA)
Operating Licence (OGOA) Company
1402 Canadian Natural Resources Limited
1403 ExxonMobil Canada Ltd.
1404 Imperial Oil Resources Limited
1409 Utility Group Facilities Inc.
1410 MGM Energy
1411 Explor Geophysical Ltd.
1414 Inuvialuit Energy Security Project Ltd.

Duration of a licence

  • Licences are issued to a company for a maximum of one year.
  • They are valid from their commencement date (typically April 1 or a date after April 1 if they applied later in the year) until March 31 of the following (next) year.

Related documents

See our section on the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act for a full list of related regulations and guidance.

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