Wildboy Holdings Ltd. has acquired 234 wells and associated infrastructure previously designated as orphans following the insolvency of Erikson National Energy Inc. The BCER will undertake site clean-up and restoration work of the remaining orphan sites, paid for through the industry-funded Orphan Site Reclamation Fund.
DATE ISSUED: Sept. 19, 2025
EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately
The BC Energy Regulator (BCER) is committed to ensuring responsible energy resource activities in B.C. across their life cycle, from site planning to restoration. As part of this oversight, we have a robust liability management framework in place to ensure permit holders are responsible for the financial and environmental risks related to their operations and industry pays for the costs of restoration.
Erikson National Energy Inc. was an oil and natural gas company with assets in northern B.C. Since 2020, Erikson was non-compliant with orders and failed to meet the regulatory and financial obligations incumbent on it as a permit holder.
In September 2024, Erikson entered insolvency proceedings and pursued a sales process in efforts to divest its assets. Those efforts were unsuccessful.
On March 31, 2025, the BCER, having determined a portion of Erikson’s portfolio, located in the Peace region of northeast B.C., would be of no interest to any potential purchasers, exercised its authority under section 45 of the Energy Resource Activities Act to designate those sites and associated infrastructure as orphans. On May 5, 2025, the BCER designated the remaining Erikson sites and associated infrastructure as orphan sites.
Also on May 5, 2025, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench issued an order placing Erikson into receivership. The receiver manager was tasked with settling the company’s affairs and pursuing any sales and transfers to a solvent operator.
On July 4, 2025, the Erikson receiver executed a sale transaction for some of the assets, including 234 wells, a gas plant and associated infrastructure to Wildboy Holdings Ltd. That deal closed on Sept. 12, 2025 and the BCER subsequently transferred the assets to Wildboy.
The assets Wildboy has acquired are located northeast of Fort Nelson. The sale allows for continued operation of assets, avoiding orphan designation and associated restoration costs that will now be borne by the new operator.
The Orphan Site Reclamation Fund will be used to decommission and restore Erikson’s remaining 168 unsold orphan sites, which includes work planning for deactivating pipelines and decommissioning high priority sites, communicating with affected landowners and First Nations communities, and integrating the sites into area-based closure programs for timely restoration.
Orphan Sites in B.C.
Orphan sites are wells, facilities, pipelines, roads and associated areas where an oil and gas company is insolvent or cannot be located.
An orphan site designation gives the BCER the option of using the Orphan Site Reclamation Fund to decommission and clean up the site. This provides assurance the site will be restored in accordance with current standards and requirements, and all known contamination risks or hazards have been addressed.
As a result of this sale, the BCER is now responsible for 987 orphan sites in B.C., of which 254 have been fully reclaimed. Orphan sites comprise less than four per cent of all energy resource sites in the province. The rest are in the care and control of viable companies.
The BCER’s orphan program – fully funded by industry – spent more than $17.6 million during 2024/25 to conduct restoration work on orphan sites. This work included the completion of nearly 300 restoration activities on approximately 250 orphan sites.
If you have any questions regarding this Information Update, please contact:
Mike Janzen
Executive Director, Orphans & Restoration
BC Energy Regulator
250-419-4464