This is perhaps the most useful section of the whole style guide. A word list is a simple alphabetical list of words and phrases, each spelled, capitalized, and formatted as they should appear in AER documents. If you find any errors, or would like to see something added, please let us know.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Aboriginal (but prefer “Indigenous”)
aboveground (adj.)
above-mentioned
above-noted
acknowledgement
adapter
addendum (sing.), addenda (pl.)
advice (n)
advise (v)
advisor, advisory
aesthetic
affect (v)—to produce an effect (n) on (see effect)
airshed
aluminum
analog (adj)
analogue (n)
analyze
appendix, appendices
applications 1234 and 5678
approval—an AER approval; AER approval 3579
aquatic
aquifer
aquitard
archaeological
areal (of surface measurement); aerial (from the air)
arrester
asphalt
assessor
Athabasca Oil Sands Area
auxiliary
backfill (n, v)
backflow
back up (v)
backup (n)
barrel (bbl)
base flow (n); baseflow (adj)
baseline
baseload
bedrock
benefit, benefited, benefiting
benthic
biennial, biennially
bimonthly
biweekly
bleed line
bleed off (v)
bleed-off system (adj)
blowdown
blowhole
blowout
board of directors
boreal
borehole
bottomhole; bottomhole pressure
break down (v)
breakdown (n)
break through (v)
breakthrough (n)
break up (v)
breakup (n)
bubble point (n)
bubble-point pressure (adj)
build up (v)
buildup (n, adj)
bull plug
bylaw
bypass
by-product
campsite
Canada Energy Regulator (not Canadian)
cancel, cancelled, cancelling, cancellation
cannot
capillary
caprock
carry over (v)
carryover (n)
casinghead
catalogue
catalyze, catalyzer
cede
Celsius (°C)—32°C (not 32° C or 32 °C)
centimetre (cm)
centre, centred, centring
centreline Charpy test
check (v)
checklist
cheque (n)
choke line
clean up (v)
cleanup (n)
cleanup operations (adj)
coal-bearing
coalbed (coalbed methane [CBM])
coal face
coal field
coal-fired
coalhole
coal mine
coal mining (n)
coal-mining operation (adj)
coal oil
coal seam
coexist
cogeneration
cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS; no hyphens)
Cold Lake Oil Sands Area
colliery, collieries
colour
commingle
commitment
Compliance Dashboard
compressibility factor
concede
condensable
consensus
Constitution Act, 1982
Conversations that Matter
conveyor
cooperate
coordinate
cost-benefit analysis
cost-effective solution, but it is cost effective
costs claim (award, decision, etc.)
counterbalance
Court of Appeal
Court of Queen’s Bench
COVID-19
crankcase
crankshaft
Cretaceous
criterion (sing.), criteria (pl.)
crossbed
cross-bedded
cross-bedding
cross-examination
cross fault
cross-hatching
crosshole method
crossover (n)
cross-reference
cross-section
crosswind
Crown (the)
Crown-owned land
Crown land
crude oil (not “crude” alone)
cut back (v)
cutback (n)
cut off (v)
cutoff (n)
cut out (v)
cutout (n)
cyclic steam stimulation
dam (e.g., Brazeau dam)
darcy (D) (unit of permeability)
database
data (sing. & pl.)
daytime
debottlenecking
decision—the AER decision; AER Decision 2017-001
decision makers
decision making (noun); decision-making (adj) body
deep-cut (v)
deep cut (n)
degas, degasser
delignification
demethanization
demineralize
density—high-density fuel; low- and medium-density fuel
de-oil
desilter
desorb, desorption
dewater
dew point
dike
dioxins
dipmeter
disaggregate
disk
distributor
doghouse
double dip (v)
double-dipping (n)
downdip
downgrade
downhill
downhole
download
downslope
downstream
downtime
downturn
downwards
downwind
dragline
drain hole
draw down (v)
drawdown (n, adj)
drillhole
drill pipe
drillstem
drillstem test (DST)
drill string
drilling spacing unit (DSU)
drop-down (adj; never use as a standalone noun; it must always modify something else: drop-down menu)
east, eastern, easterly
East Coulee
eastern Alberta
ecoregion
ecosystem
effect (v)—to bring about (to effect a change)
effect (n)—the result of an action (see affect)
e.g., (exempli gratia, for example)
e-learning
electromagnetic
ellipsoid, ellipsoidal
email (sing.), emails (pl.)
emissions (adj.; note the final s) [e.g., emissions reduction]
empathic (not empathetic) engagement
end-pit lake
end-user
Energy and Environmental Emergency 24-Hour Response Line
EnerFAQs (singular and plural)
enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
enrol, enrolment, enrolled
ensure—to make sure of
environmental nongovernmental organization
EPEA (no “the”)
erratum (sing.), errata (pl.)
et al. (and others, only when referring to people)
etc. (et cetera, and so forth)
exacerbate
ex-Alberta
exceedance
Executive Leadership Team
extraprovincial
Fahrenheit (°F)—45°F (not 45° F or 45 °F)
FAQ, an
farther—more distant
federal government
feedback
feedstock
fibreglass
Field (n; geology: Jedney Field)
fieldwork
firefighter
fire fighting (n)
fire-fighting equipment (adj)
fire wall
First Nation
flame-type equipment
flare line
flare pit
flare stack
flashback
flash point
floodplain
flocculant
floodwater
flowback (adj)
flowback (n)
flow back (v)
flowchart
flow line
flowmeter
flow rate
fluorescent
focus, focuses, focused, focusing
follow up (v)
follow-up (n; adj)
footprint
forecast (past tense)—A downturn in the economy had been forecast
foresee
formation
Leduc Formation
forward—onward
foreword—introductory remarks at the beginning of a document
fracture (v) (to fracture, not to frac)
fracturing
Freehold
freeze up (v)
freeze-up (n)
freezing point
fresh water (n)
freshwater mud (adj)
fulfil, fulfilled, fulfilling, fulfillment
full life-cycle (adj)
full scale (n)
full-scale operation (adj)
full time
full-time job (adj)
furan
further—to a greater degree
gas-bearing formation
gas cap (n)
gas-cap gas (adj)
gases
gas field
gas-fired furnace
gas gathering system
gas in place
gas-oil ratio (GOR)
gauge
gauss (G) unit of magnetic induction
geostatistical
gigawatt-hour (GWh)
good production practice (GPP)
Government of Alberta, the provincial government
Government of Canada, the federal government
Green Area
grey
gross national product (GNP)
ground level (n)
ground-level reading (adj)
groundwater
groundwork
handheld
hard copy (n)
hard-copy version (adj)
hearing commissioner
help line
hertz (Hz) (unit of frequency)
heterogeneity
high pressure (n)
high-pressure gas (adj)
holistic
homeowner
honour, honourable, honorary
hydraulicking
hydrocracking
hydroelectric
hydrogen sulphide (H2S)
hydrophilic
hydrotreater
i.e., (id est, that is)
igniter
impermeable
in-depth (adj)
Indigenous
industrial development permit
industry, industries
industry’s (sing. possessive), industries’ (pl. possessive)
in-line (adj)
in-place volumes
volumes in place
in situ (in situ volumes); never hyphenate foreign phrases
install, installed, installing, installation, instalment
insure—to arrange financial compensation
Integrated Decision Approach (IDA)
interburden
interconnected
internet
interprovincial
intervener
interwell
isobutane
isopach, isopachs, isopachous
isopleth
its—like his and her, a possessive (The company requested that its well licence be amended.)
it’s (it is)
joules (J)
judgement
kelly bushing (KB)
keyword
kick off (v)
kickoff (n)
kickoff pressure (adj)
kill line
kilowatt-hours (kWh)
knock out (v)
knockout (n, adj)
labour
landfill
landform
landholder
landman
landowner
landslide
land use (n)
land-use requirements (adj)
large scale
on a large scale (n)
a large-scale operation (adj)
leachate
leak off (v)
leakoff (n; adj)
leaseholder
legal subdivision (LSD)
Legislative Assembly
lessee
lessor
level, levelled, levelling
level 1 emergency
liaison
licence (n) (an AER licence; licence 2480)
license (v) (company was licensed to operate the well)
Licensee Liability Rating Program; but LLR program
licensing operations (adj)
licensee (n)
Lieutenant Governor in Council
life cycle (n)
life-cycle (adj)
life form
lifestyle
line-o-log
liquefy, liquefied
liquefied natural gas (LNG)
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
lithology
litres (L)
Lo-Cat
log in (v); login (n, adj)
Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, the (LARP, no “the”)
low pressure (n)
low-pressure area (adj)
mailout (n)
mainframe
mainline (n) (a primary pipeline, power line, or railway line; a principal vein)
main stem
make up (v)
make-up (n)
make-up water (adj)
marketplace
marshland
maximum rate limitation (MRL)
megawatt-hours (MWh)
memorandum of understanding
merchantable
meter—instrument for measuring
Métis (the accent is an essential part of the spelling)
metre (m)—unit of measurement
metreage
midpoint
(the) Midwest (n)
mine (e.g., Horizon mine)
mineable, mineability
mineral vs. minerals as an adjective
mine site
minister—the minister of the environment; but the minister of Environment and Parks; the deputy minister; Minister Talbot
miscible
modelling
mole (mol)
mould
mousehole
mousetrap
multiphase
multipool
multistage
multistakeholder
multiwell
multiyear
multizone
Municipal District of Opportunity
naphtha
natural gas liquids (NGLs)
netback
nighttime
noncompliance
nonconfidential
non-fish-bearing
nongovernmental organization
nonpayment
nonroutine
nonsaline
north—geographic, direction
the North (political entity)
northeast, northeastern, northwesterly
northeast Calgary (geographical area)
Northeast Calgary (political area)
notice of hearing
notice of noncompliance
occasion, occasionally
occur, occurred, occurring, occurrence
odour (but odorous)
offence, offensive
off-gas (n)
off-line facility, facility was off line
offset
offshore (adj)
off-site storage, storage was off site
off-target well, well was off target
ohm (unit of resistance)
oil-base mud, fluid
oil-bearing formation
oilfield
oil in place
oil pool
oil sands (n)
oil sands area (generic)
oil well (n)
oil-well pump (adj)
old-growth (adj)
olefins
oleophilic
OneStop
ongoing
online processing, computer was online
onshore
onside
on-site storage, storage was on site
on stream
on-target (adj)
on target (n)
open flow (n)
open-flow test (adj)
open-pit mining
open-water assessment
oral (not verbal)
order
Order in Council
organochlorines
orphan fund levy
outweigh
overburden
overcapacity (adj)
overemphasize
overestimate
overpressure
overproduction
overrun
oversupply
Paleocene
paleontology
Paleozoic
panelist
paraffin
parallel, paralleled, paralleling
parts per million (ppm)
pascals (Pa) (unit of pressure)
pass through (v)
pass-through (n)
pay back (v)
payback (n)
payload
pay off (v)
payoff (n)
pay out (v)
payout (n)
Peace River Oil Sands Area
penetrometer
pentanes plus
per cent—but using the symbol is preferred
percentage
permit (an AER permit; AER permit 6780)
Petrinex (Canada’s Petroleum Information Network)
phenomenon (sing.), phenomena (pl.)
pipeline
plant site
plug back (v; n)
plug-back (adj)
Pool (n; geology: Nisku Q Pool)
powerhouse
power line
power plant
Power Pool (the Alberta…)
practice (n)
practise (v)
practised (adj)
Prairie provinces, the
preapplication
precede
predetermine
predevelopment
predisturbance
prehearing
preventive (not preventative)
prewash
principal—first in rank; most important
principle—a basic truth
print out (v)
printout (n)
proactive
proceed
Proceeding Search tool
program, programmed, programming
prorateable
province of Alberta, the province (the place)
Province of Alberta, the Province, the provincial government (the corporate entity)
province-wide (adj; n)
Publication of Decision Tool
public lands; but Public Lands Act, or PLA (defined)
public notice of application, a (generic)
Public Notice of Application Tool (the PNOA tool)
publicly
pump jack
Qmax (maximum daily allowable)
quarter section—the southwest quarter of Section 20
radio, radios, radioed
railway (not railroad)
rateable take
rate of take
reabandon
reactance
recalibrate
recede
reclamation certificate
reclassification
recur, recurrence
recycle
re-enrol
re-entry
re-evaluation
Refer status
regard(s) (with/in regard to, as regards something)
regardless (never irregardless)
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
reinject
reinvest
reissue
relocate
remediation certificate
remix
reopen
reprocessing plant
rerelease
reroute
reschedule
rescind, rescission
reserves-to-production ratio
respectfully—showing respect
respectively—in the order given
résumé
retest
reuse, reusable
revegetation
reverify
right of entry
right-of-way (ROW), rights-of-way (ROWs)
riparian
risk assessment rule
riverbank
riverbed
river bottom
riverside
roadblock
road map
run off (v)
runoff (n)
runoff water (adj)
saleable
salt water (n)
saltwater disposal (adj)
salvageable
sandface; sandface pressure
sceptic
sea level (n)
sea-level data (adj)
self (all words beginning with self are hyphenated; e.g., self-directed)
semiannual
semirefined
separate, separator
set back (v)
setback (n)
setback distance (adj)
set up (v)
setup (n)
shale, shaly
shareable
shelter in place
shoreline
short list (n)
short-list(ed) (v)
short-term (adj)
shut down (v)
shutdown (n)
shutdown well (adj)
shut in (v)—the well was shut in
shut-in (n)
shut-in well (adj)
shut off (v)
shutoff (n)
shutoff valve (adj)
sidestream (adj)
sidetrack (v, n)
sign-off (n)
small-diameter hole
socioeconomic
sodicity
solicitor
solvent flood (n)
solvent-flood scheme (adj)
sorb, sorption
sour gas (n)
sour-gas pipeline (adj)
sour-gas-processing facilities
south
southeast, southeastern, southwesterly
Southeastern Alberta—(administrative area)
South Saskatchewan River
sphagnum moss
spillway
sportfish
spot pattern—5-spot, 7-spot, and 9-spot patterns; 5-, 7-, and 9-spot patterns; single-spot pattern
standalone
stand by (v)
standby (n)
standby service (adj)
stand down (v)
start up (v)
start-up (n)
start-up operations (adj)
statement of concern
static VAR compensator
steam-assisted gravity drainage
step-by-step instructions (but, follow the instructions step by step)
step-out well
stockpile
stormwater (n, adj)
stratum (sing), strata (pl)
strip mine
sub-bituminous
subcommittee
subdivision
subgrade
subject matter expert (no hyphen)
subplay
subprogram
subroutine
subsea
subsoil
subsurface
succeed
Sulferox
sulphide
sulphur, sulphurous
sump
supersede
surface-mineable
synergy, synergies
tail gas
tailings (always plural)
thalweg
targeted
teamwork
test hole (n)
test-hole data (adj)
thermocracking
third party (n)
third-party damage (adj)
tie in, tying in (v)
tie-in (n)
tie-in welds (adj)
tie line
timeframe
timeline
timetable
toll free (n); toll-free (adj)
tonne (t) (metric)
toolpusher
topsoil
totalling
trapline
travel, travelled, travelling
truckload
trunnion
tunnelling
turbo-expander
turnaround
turndown
underestimate
underground-mineable
underlie (underlie a formation)
underproduction
underutilize
underway (adj)—occurring, performed, or used while in motion, e.g., underway refueling
under way (adv)—in progress, afoot, e.g., preparations were under way
ungulate
update
updip
upgrade
uphill
upload
upslope
upstream
up-to-date data
data are up to date
upwind
usable
username
valley bottom (n)
valley-bottom deposit (adj)
valleys
vapour, vaporize, vaporous
vent line
verbatim—word for word
vice-chair
vice president
volatile
high-volatile substance (adj)
medium-volatile substance (adj)
volt-ampere reactive (VAR)
voluntary self-disclosure
wastewater (n)
wastewater disposal (adj)
water body (n); waterbody (adj)
watercourse
water cut (n)
water-cut level (adj)
waterflood(ing)
waterfowl
water level
waterline
water-oil ratio (WOR)
waterpower
watershed
water table (n)
water-table aquifer (adj)
waterway
waterworks
wavelength
webpage
website
weldment
well-being
wellbore
wellhead
well site; well-site piping
well test
well servicing
west, western, westerly
White Area
whitelist
wildfowl
wild land
wildlife
windfall profits
wind speed
wireline
workforce
working-interest owners
workload
work over (v)
work-over (n)
workplace
worksite
workstation
worldwide
xerox (v)
Xerox (n)
X-ray
year-end
year-round (adj)—but all year round (adv)
zero, zeroes, zeroed