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The Kenney government wants Ottawa’s help — and some money as well — to deal with the growing number of abandoned oil and gas wells in the province, while creating jobs in the process.

If the battling governments are truly looking for places to co-operate, this looks like a sensible place to start.

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In a letter sent Monday to Finance Minister Bill Morneau, Alberta is seeking federal assistance to “accelerate the reclamation of abandoned oil and gas wells.”

Finance Minister Travis Toews spoke with his federal counterpart Monday and pressed the issue.

“Ultimately, we would like funding from the federal government to assist us as a province in cleaning up our orphan wells,” Toews told reporters at the legislature.

“It would create jobs in much-needed regions of the province.”

Toews didn’t put a price tag on the request but noted Alberta’s Orphan Well Association is facing a growing backlog of such wells that require downhole wellbore abandonment and surface reclamation, but don’t have an active owner to pick up the bill.