Tourmaline Oil Corp., Canada’s largest natural gas producer, plans to boost spending and pull forward some drilling in the Montney Shale originally scheduled for next year into the final weeks of 2021.

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The company credited “materially reduced drilling times,” particularly at its northeastern British Columbia assets, with the decision. 

Tourmaline reported a 20% reduction in per-well drilling times in the Montney, equivalent to two fewer days per well. That means that the drilling scheduled in 2021 would conclude in November. 

“As a result, the company has elected to accelerate the drilling of approximately 21 wells from 2022 into 4Q2021 in order to maintain the existing top-tier, company-operated drilling fleet at full capacity, rather than release rigs at this...