Compulsory abandonment savings that Canadian natural gas and oil pipelines must raise to shut, safely seal and clean up their operations after flows end are forecast to jump by 79%, according to a national regulatory decision.

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) set the increase (C$1.00/US 76 cents) to $18.6 billion from a previous requirement of $10.4 billion for 43,800 miles of conduits under its jurisdiction.

“Continued refinement” of mandatory cleanup expense projections led to the change in the Abandonment Cost Estimate (ACE) by the regulatory agency. The original polluter-pay rule survives.

“The future cost of abandoning CER-regulated facilities is paid for by companies with CER-regulated pipeline systems and not borne by indigenous peoples, landowners, or future...