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Section Q: Energy and Electric Power

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G. David Quirin, University of Toronto

This section contains the major statistics pertaining to the energy-producing and energy-distributing industries in Canada. These statistics are collected and maintained by Statistics Canada using a classification based on nature of the resource base and level of activity, rather than the end-use classification that has been adopted here. In the previous edition, portions of the material which appears here appeared in Section N, Minerals and Fuel, others appeared in Section P, Electric Power.

Major published sources used include the following Statistics Canada publications: Canada Year Book, (Catalogue 11-202); Trade of Canada: Imports, (Catalogue 65-203); Trade of Canada: Exports, (Catalogue 65-202); Electric Power Statistics, annual, various issues, (Catalogue 57-001); Central Electric Stations, annual 1917 to 1955, (Catalogues 57-202 and 57-204); Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry, annual, (Catalogue 26-213); The Coal Mining Industry, annual 1969 and prior years, (Catalogue 26-206); Coal Mines, annual from 1970, (Catalogue 26-206); Petroleum Refineries, annual, (Catalogue 45-205); General Review of the Mining Industry, annual, 1951 to 1960, (Catalogue 26-201); Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1886-1956, (Catalogue 26-501).

In addition, certain series collected and tabulated by the Canadian Petroleum Association and appearing in its Statistical Handbook have been included. For early years, compilations made from the files of the Water Resources Branch, the Mineral Statistics and Public Utilities sections of Statistics Canada and from industry sources by John Davis and published in the first edition of this work remain invaluable.

The tables are available as comma separated value files (csv). They may be viewed using a variety of software. You may have to create an association between your software application and the csv files. The pdf files should be used to verify table formats. For example, footnotes appear in a column to the right of the cell they reference in the csv files; while in the pdf files footnotes appear as superscript numbers.

Table Q1-5 Canadian production of coal, 1867 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q1-5
Canadian production of coal, 1867 to 1976

Table Q6-12 Canadian utilization of coal, 1867 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q6-12
Canadian utilization of coal, 1867 to 1976

Source: Trade of Canada; Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1886 to 1956; General Review of the Mining Industry; The Coal Mining Industry and its successor, Coal Mines, plus compilations made by J. Davis for the previous edition.

Production data prior to 1919 include sales, colliery consumption and coal used by operators. Since 1919, all production including stockpiles of coal, waste, etc. is included. Values are based on average sales realization. 'Other' in series Q1-5 includes New Brunswick and the Yukon Territory.

Table Q13-18 Production of crude petroleum by province, 1943 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q13-18
Production of crude petroleum by province, 1943 to 1975

Table Q19-25 Production and trade of crude petroleum, 1868 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q19-25
Production and trade of crude petroleum, 1868 to 1976

Source: Trade of Canada; Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1886 to 1956; General Review of the Mining Industry and the annual Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry, together with compilations made for the previous edition by J. Davis.

Values are at wellhead except for the Northwest Territories where realization from sales at the refinery is used. Imports for 1880 to 1898 include petroleum products as well as crude. It is unknown whether exports prior to 1900 include products as well as crude. 'Other' in series Q13-18 includes the Northwest Territories and small amounts from New Brunswick in earlier years. Production since 1967 includes synthetic crude from tar sands. Small amounts of oil produced from oil shales in New Brunswick are included in production as applicable. Details of production prior to 1943 in the major provinces are obtainable from Energy or Oil and Gas Conservation Boards.

Table Q26-30 Production of natural gas by province, 1941 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q26-30
Production of natural gas by province, 1941 to 1975

Table Q31-37 Production and trade in natural gas, 1892 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q31-37
Production and trade in natural gas, 1892 to 1976

Source: Trade of Canada; Canadian Mineral Statistics, 1886 to 1956; General Review of the Mining Industry and the annual Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry, as well as compilations made from unpublished sources by J. Davis.

Imports shown in series Q31-37 include unknown quantities of mixed natural and manufactured gas. Data on exports prior to 1901 to Buffalo and Detroit are no longer available. The permit authorizing operation of the relevant pipeline was rescinded in 1901. Output for the period prior to 1960 is output minus flared or wasted gas. For 1961 on, series Q31-37 reports marketable production and values, after deduction of processing shrinkage and line loss. Provincial figures in series Q26-30 are 'net production withdrawal'. Those exclude flared or wasted gas but not processing shrinkage or line loss. Values, prior to 1950, include value of condensate and 'pentanes plus'. Values are at wellhead or field gate, except in Ontario where an imputed wholesale price is used.

Details of prior years production in the major producing provinces may be obtained from the Energy Resources Conservation Board (Alberta) and the Ontario Energy Board.

Table Q38-45 Production of natural gas liquids, 1961 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q38-45
Production of natural gas liquids, 1961 to 1975

Table Q46-54 Production and trade in natural gas liquids, 1961 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q46-54
Production and trade in natural gas liquids, 1961 to 1976

Output is that from natural gas field processing plants only, propane and butane is also produced in oil refineries in which case they are referred to as 'liquified refinery gases or LRG' (see series Q149-159). Condensate and 'pentanes plus' are also known as 'natural gasoline' and are usually used as feedstock or blending stock in refinery operations. Certain proportions of condensate output in earlier years, particularly those from the Turner Valley field in Alberta, are included in the crude petroleum statistics shown in series Q13-18 and Q19-25. This field was the only source of these products prior to the 1950s. Volumes were insignificant until large- scale gas exports from Alberta and British Columbia developed in the late 1950s. Some data on prior years output can be found in Petroleum Refineries, (Catalogue 45-205). Trade figures include propane and butane from refineries as well as field processing plants. Apparent consumption in series Q46-54 is thus apparent consumption net of LRG, which is reported in series Q149-159. The latter source derives from the apparent crude consumption shown in series Q19-25, and is thus a secondary, not a primary, source of energy.

Table Q55-58 Exploratory and development drilling in Western Canada, 1947 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q55-58
Exploratory and development drilling in Western Canada, 1947 to 1976

Source: a compilation, from provincial sources, made by the Canadian Petroleum Association and reported in its Statistical Handbook.

Exploratory wells include new field wildcats, new pool wildcats, deeper pool tests, shallower pool tests and outpost wells, following the classification developed by F.H. Lahee (Bulletin A.A.P.G., 1938). The same source reports some data for other provinces in recent years, the provinces and territories covered by this series account for the vast bulk of exploratory effort and discoveries.

Table Q59-63 Proven crude oil reserves, 1950 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q59-63
Proven crude oil reserves, 1950 to 1975

Table Q64-69 Proven natural gas reserves, 1955 to 1977. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q64-69
Proven natural gas reserves, 1955 to 1977

Table Q70-74 Proven natural gas liquids reserves, 1951 to 1977. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q70-74
Proven natural gas liquids reserves, 1951 to 1977

Source: the Canadian Petroleum Association; the natural gas series is compiled by a joint Canadian Petroleum Association-Canadian Gas Association committees. They are based on estimates developed by engineering committees with access, as necessary, to confidential technical information, and represent the most authoritative estimate of proven reserves publicly available. The definitions used restrict proven reserves to those actually drilled or whose existence can be inferred from nearby wells. They do not include 'probable' reserves which might be inferred to exist within existing reservoirs on the basis of geophysical or geological interpretation and are thus deliberately conservative.

'Discoveries' include the initial reserve credited to pools discovered during the year, as indicated by the discovery well, successful follow-up wells and such limited surrounding area as appears justified on engineering evidence. 'Extensions and revisions' includes adjustments made to prior years' discoveries as the results of further drilling during the year or adjustments made on the basis of production experience. Though adjustments may be negative, for example, if recovery factor estimates have to be adjusted on the basis of production experience, most of the oil or gas discovered in a field will be reported in the extensions and revision column.

In series Q64-69, it should be noted that volumes are measured at the industry standard pressure of 14.65 psia (pounds per square inch absolute) and not the 14.73 psia used by Statistics Canada and forming the basis of series Q26-30 and Q31-37. Production reported in series Q64-69 is the amount removed from the reservoir, and thus includes flared or wasted gas, processing losses, etc., which are excluded from reported production in series Q26-30 and Q31-37. Volumes at 14.65 psia are approximately 1.0055 times volumes at 14.73 psia. A temperature base of 60° F is used throughout.

Table Q75-80 Electrical generating capacity and output by type of ownership, 1919 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q75-80
Electrical generating capacity and output by type of ownership, 1919 to 1975

Table Q81-84 Electrical generating capacity by type of prime mover, 1917 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q81-84
Electrical generating capacity by type of prime mover, 1917 to 1976

Table Q85-91 Electrical generation by type of prime mover, 1919 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q85-91
Electrical generation by type of prime mover, 1919 to 1976

Table Q92-96 Production and trade in electrical energy, 1919 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q92-96
Production and trade in electrical energy, 1919 to 1975

Source: Trade of Canada, the annual Electric Power Statistics (since 1956) and its predecessor, General Electric Stations (for prior years) and compilations made from a variety of sources by J. Davis for the preceding edition. There is a distinct break in certain of the series in 1956, when a number of industrial producers which did not sell to the public were added to the coverage base, while a number of industrial producers having limited public sales, for example, to employees or to a nearby municipality were moved from the 'privately operated utilities' class to the 'industrial establishments' class. Series Q75-80 reports two sets of numbers for 1956 which give some indication of the magnitudes involved. Capacity figures for the pre-1956 series reflect horsepower of the prime movers; those for 1956 and subsequent years reflect name plate capacity of the generating equipment installed.

Table Q97-101 Electric utilities - number of customers by class, 1920 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q97-101
Electric utilities - number of customers by class, 1920 to 1975

Table Q102-106 Electric utility sales by class of customer, selected years, 1930 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q102-106
Electric utility sales by class of customer, selected years, 1930 to 1975

Table Q107-113 Electric utility revenues by class of customer, 1919 to 1975. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q107-113
Electric utility revenues by class of customer, 1919 to 1975

Source: same as series Q75-80, Q81-84, Q85-91 and Q92-96.

Series Q97-101 indicates numbers of customers during December. Series Q102-106 indicates volumes sold, series Q107-113 revenues from power sales. Export sales values shown in series Q67-113 relate to the volumes shown in series Q92-96. The categorization of customers as commercial or industrial is that used by the utility providing the service and reflects choice by the customer of a particular rate schedule considered to be industrial or commercial; these differ from one utility to another and there is thus some ambiguity in these series. In the more recent years the classifications have been merged. It should be noted that many apartment residences are served under commercial rates and that 'residential' totals are thus understated to an unknown degree.

Table Q114-117 Gas utilities, number of customers by class, 1958 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q114-117
Gas utilities, number of customers by class, 1958 to 1976

Table Q118-125 Gas utilities sales by class of customer, 1958 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q118-125
Gas utilities sales by class of customer, 1958 to 1976

Source: the annual publication Gas Utilities (Distribution Systems) which has been published since 1959.

In earlier years natural gas was available only in Alberta and certain portions of Southwestern Ontario; other areas were served with manufactured gas which was lower in caloritic value and (relatively) higher in effective costs. Statistics for earlier years were reported in Gas Pipeline Transport which incorporated both natural and manufactured gas statistics.

Table Q126-130 Miscellaneous statistics of the electric power industry, selected years, 1891 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q126-130
Miscellaneous statistics of the electric power industry, selected years, 1891 to 1976

Table Q131-136 Principal statistics of the petroleum and natural gas industry, 1929 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q131-136
Principal statistics of the petroleum and natural gas industry, 1929 to 1976

Table Q137-142 Principal statistics of the Canadian coal mining industry, 1918 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q137-142
Principal statistics of the Canadian coal mining industry, 1918 to 1976

Table Q143-148 Miscellaneous statistics of natural gas utilities, 1959 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q143-148
Miscellaneous statistics of natural gas utilities, 1959 to 1976

Source: Electric Power Statistics; General Review of the Mining Industry; The Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry and Coal Mines and their predecessor publications.

These tables give employment and payroll statistics and other data used for value-added calculations, along with certain other series of interest.

Table Q149-159 Canadian refinery shipments of petroleum products, 1949 to 1976. Opens a new browser window.

Table Q149-159
Canadian refinery shipments of petroleum products, 1949 to 1976

Source: Petroleum Refineries.

Series Q19-25 gives apparent consumption of crude petroleum, series Q46-54 that of condensate and pentanes plus. These are not end products but inputs to the refining process. Series Q149-159 is intended to indicate the end product form in which apparent consumption was utilized.


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