Crude oil and natural gas: Supply and disposition

Crude and equivalent hydrocarbon production declined 2.1% in 2005, compared to 2004. This was the first annual percentage drop in the past six years. The total annual production of 146.2 million cubic metres was lower than the previous year, mostly because of a fire at a major oil sands processing facility in Alberta. Synthetic crude production dropped 17.5% over the first nine months of the year as a result of this fire. In Newfoundland and Labrador, production was also lower for 2005 (-3.1%), due to a maintenance slowdown at the Terra Nova oil field.

Overall, Canadian crude oil exports decreased 2.0% from 2004, even though there was an increase in exports to the United States late in the year. Exports accounted for 63.1% of the total crude oil and equivalent production.

Crude oil imports for 2005 receded by 0.9%, compared to 2004. About 75% of Canadian imports come from Norway (25.7%), Algeria (17.9%), United Kingdom (15.7%), Saudi Arabia (8.2%) and Iraq (7.1%). North Sea countries represented 41.4% of total imports, while Middle Eastern countries accounted for 33.2% of total imports.

In December 2005, crude oil production reached 13.7 million cubic metres, up a significant 12.1% from December 2004. This increase was attributable to higher production in Newfoundland and Labrador (due to the addition of the White Rose oilfield), and higher synthetic crude oil (+24.0%) and bitumen (+20.5%) production in Alberta, compared to the same month last year.

Exports of crude oil, which accounted for 65.5% of total production, increased 16.8% from December 2004.

In 2005, marketable natural gas production advanced 1.2% from 2004. However, lower natural gas sales in the residential (-0.4%), commercial (-1.2%) and industrial (-3.9) sectors resulted in domestic sales edging down 2.7%, compared to 2004.

In December 2005, marketable natural gas production decreased 3.0% and domestic sales fell 4.3% from December 2004. Exports accounted for 66.9% of marketable natural gas production.

Available on CANSIM: tables 126-0001 and 131-0001.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2198.

Preliminary data is available on CANSIM at the national level to December 2005 inclusive. At the national and provincial level detailed information is available for crude oil (126-0001) up to October 2005 inclusive, and for natural gas (131-0001) up to May 2005 inclusive.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the dissemination officer (1-866-873-8789; 613-951-9497; energ@statcan.gc.ca), Manufacturing, Construction and Energy Division.