Canada

Canadian energy market fundamentals are improving enough to support a “sustained period of elevated natural gas drilling,” particularly in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Precision Drilling Corp.’s chief said. While Lower 48 demand for drilling services by exploration and production (E&P) customers remains muddled, the picture is much clearer in Canada for the Calgary-based oilfield…

The state of Canada’s natural gas market largely reflects that of the United States: robust production, elevated storage levels and suppressed prices. To be sure, the Arctic blast in mid-January that briefly bolstered heating demand and caused wellhead freeze-offs that slowed production in the Lower 48 also gave the Canadian market a boost. Cash prices,…

Calgary-based AltaGas Ltd. has sanctioned the Pipestone Natural Gas Processing Plant Phase II expansion project in the Alberta Montney Shale region. Construction is set to begin this year on the expansion, which is fully permitted. The project would provide an additional 100 MMcf/d of sour deep-cut natural gas processing capacity and an additional 20,000 b/d…

FortisBC Energy Inc. was sent back to the drawing board to supply a growing customer base after Canadian regulators rejected a proposal for a C$327 million ($285 million) natural gas pipeline.  The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) in late December denied a certificate of public convenience and necessity for FortisBC’s proposed Okanagan Capacity Upgrade (OCU)…

Pembina Pipeline Corp. disclosed that a possible final investment decision (FID) for its Cedar LNG project on the British Columbia (BC) coast could slip to early next year as the project partners hammer out final details for its construction and tolling agreements. In its recently released 2024 guidance, the company said it expects to make…

Alberta, Canada’s top hydrocarbon producing province, has seen strong investment in both oil and natural gas projects, which is leading to a strong revenue boost in 2023. “Prospects for the energy sector remain positive, underpinned by solid energy  prices and the anticipated increase in Alberta’s takeaway capacity,” according to Alberta’s recent fiscal update. “Energy prices…

Canada has unveiled draft regulations to curb methane pollution from the oil and natural gas sector, coinciding with the finalization of similar rules by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  The proposed federal regulations, presented during the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial at the 28th Conference of the Parties climate summit in Dubai, are designed to help…

Journalist Gordon Michael Jaremko, who was Natural Gas Intelligence’s Canadian correspondent for nearly 40 years, has died. He was 76. Jaremko, who died Nov. 28, was long recognized as the dean of Canadian oil and gas  journalism. He spent decades working at some of Canada’s largest newspapers and energy magazines, as well as writing and…

Interruptions imposed by western wildfires last summer aside, natural gas production in Canada has often averaged around 18 Bcf/d or higher in 2023. That’s roughly 1 Bcf/d more than the 2022 standard, according to Canada Energy Regulator data, and it comes at a time when demand has largely held flat amid mild weather. The result:…