Natural Gas

Canada is the world’s fifth largest producer of natural gas and accounts for around five per cent of global production. Natural gas production in Canada is predominantly from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, although other gas is produced from offshore Nova Scotia and smaller amounts are produced in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nunavut. While Canadian production of conventional natural gas has been declining, production of Canadian unconventional natural gas has been rising. Development of unconventional resources like tight gas is technologically challenging and companies are increasingly using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to create economically viable wells.

Canadian natural gas supply currently exceeds domestic consumption. Canada’s natural gas markets are heavily integrated with those of the United States and Canada exports its surplus natural gas to the U.S. while importing smaller amounts from the U.S. into Central Canada in return. While some companies have proposed exporting natural gas to overseas markets by liquefying it (liquefied natural gas or LNG), any projects that are actually built are not likely to be operational until towards the end of the decade.

The Canada Energy Regulator regulates the export and import of natural gas. Export orders or licenses are required to export natural gas from Canada. Holders of export authorizations report monthly on their export activities to the Commission.

Statistics

• Marketable natural gas in Canada
  (Monthly natural gas production (Canada, by province))
• Natural Gas Annual Trade Summary
• Commodity Tracking System^{Footnote 1} – Natural Gas
  (Monthly and annual natural gas statistics; dynamic formulation including province, year, month, imports, exports, port and LNG)

Analysis and Publications

• What is in a Canadian residential natural gas bill? – July 2018
• Duvernay Shale Economic Resources – Energy Briefing Note – November 2017
• Duvernay Resource Assessment – Energy Briefing Note – September 2017
• Canada’s Role in the Global LNG Market – Energy Market Assessment – July 2017
• Short-term Canadian Natural Gas Deliverability 2016-2018 – Energy Market Assessment – June 2016
  (An outlook for available Canadian natural gas supply from the beginning of 2016 to the end of 2018)
• The Unconventional Gas Resources of Mississippian-Devonian Shales in the Liard Basin of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon – Energy Briefing Note – March 2016
  • Questions and Answers – The Unconventional Gas Resources of Mississippian-Devonian Shales in the Liard Basin of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon
• Short-term Canadian Natural Gas Deliverability 2015-2017 – Energy Market Assessment – June 2015
  (An outlook for available Canadian natural gas supply from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2017)
• Short-term Canadian Natural Gas Deliverability 2014-2016 – Energy Market Assessment – May 2014
  (An outlook for available Canadian natural gas supply from the beginning of 2014 to the end of 2016)
• The Ultimate Potential for Unconventional Petroleum from the Montney Formation of British Columbia and Alberta – Energy Briefing Note – November 2013
  (An assessment of the Montney formation in BC; a joint effort between the Canada Energy Regulator, the BC Oil and Gas Commission, the Alberta Energy regulator and the BC Ministry of Natural Gas Development)
• Short-term Canadian Natural Gas Deliverability 2013-2015 – Energy Market Assessment – May 2013
  (An outlook for available Canadian natural gas supply from the beginning of 2013 to the end of 2015)
  • Challenges for Future Natural Gas Deliverability in Canada – Fact Sheet

For more information on Natural Gas, refer to Canada's Energy Future, Canadian Energy Dynamics and Canadian Energy Overview.

ARCHIVED – Natural Gas – Analysis and Publications

Date modified:

2019-10-29