From the Canadian Energy Centre

One of the things that really makes us Albertans, and Canadians is what we do and how we do it.  It’s taking humanity a while to figure it out, but we seem to be grasping just how important access to energy is to our success.  This makes it important that we all know at least a little about the industry that drives Canadians and especially Albertans as we make our way in the world.

The Canadian Energy Centre has compiled a list of 25 (very, extremely) interesting facts about the oil and gas industry in Canada. Over the 5 days we will post all 25 amazing facts, 5 at a time. Here are facts 11 to 15. 

The Canadian Energy Centre’s 2023 reference guide to the latest research on Canada’s oil and gas industry

The following summary facts and data were drawn from 30 Fact Sheets and Research Briefs and various Research Snapshots that the Canadian Energy Centre released in 2023. For sources and methodology and for additional data and information, the original reports are available at the research portal on the Canadian Energy Centre website: canadianenergycentre.ca.

11. Breakeven costs in Canadian natural gas sector fifth lowest in the world

The Canadian natural gas sector had a weighted average breakeven gas price of US$2.31 per thousand cubic feet (mcf) in 2022, fifth lowest among major natural gas producing countries. Only in Saudi Arabia (US$1.09 per mcf), Iran (US$1.39 per mcf), Qatar (US$1.93 per mcf), and the United States (US$2.22 per mcf) was the breakeven gas price lower. The weighted average breakeven costs for Canada‘s natural gas sector in 2022 were lower than in Russia, Norway, Algeria, China, and Australia.

Source: Derived from Rystad Energy

12. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed

Natural gas prices have skyrocketed around the world in the last two years. In 2021, the price of natural gas in Asia was US$18.60 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) compared to US$4.40 per mmbtu in 2020—an increase of 323 per cent in just one year. By comparison, in 2021 natural gas sold for US$2.80 per mmbtu on Alberta’s AECO-C trading hub; in Asia it was US$15.88 per mmbtu more (or 564 per cent higher). Between 2019 and 2021, the price gap between Henry Hub in the US and AECO-C natural gas fluctuated from a high of 98 per cent in 2019 to a low of 26 per cent in 2020. In 2021, U.S. natural gas sold for US$3.84 per mmbtu, 40 per cent higher than the US$2.75 per mmbtu average price for AECO-C natural gas that year.

Sources: BP Statistical Review of World Energy and International Monetary Fund

13. Projected government revenues from the Canadian natural gas sector: over US$227 billion through 2050

Government revenues from the Canadian natural gas sector are projected to reach over US$227 billion through 2050. Under a Henry Hub price for natural gas of US$3.00 per thousand cubic feet (kcf), government revenues from the country’s natural gas sector are expected to rise from US$1.4 billion in 2023 to US$3.4 billion in 2050. Should the Henry Hub price reach US$4.00 per kcf, government revenues from the country’s natural gas sector would be projected to rise from US$2.0 billion in 2023 to US$10.0 billion in 2050.

Source: Derived from Rystad Energy

14. Small business plays a key role in the oil and gas sector

Small business plays a key job creation role in Canada’s economy. Statistics Canada defines small businesses as those with between one and 99 paid employees. Medium-size enterprises are those with 100 to 499 employees, while large enterprises have 500 or more employees. In 2022, of the oil and gas firms in Canada, 96.0 per cent were small, 3.5 per cent were medium-sized, and 0.6 per cent were large companies.

With the exception of construction, the oil and gas sector in Canada has a higher proportion of small businesses than other major industries. As of 2022, 96.0 per cent of all oil and gas energy firms had between 1 and 99 employees compared with 93.2 per cent in manufacturing, 89.6 per cent in utilities, and 99.0 per cent in the construction sector. The all-industry average is 98.0 per cent.

Source: Authors’ calculation based on Statistics Canada Table 33-10-0661-01

15. Canada’s oil and gas sector has an impact on key industries across the Canadian economy

In 2019, the activities of the Canadian oil and gas sector were indirectly responsible for significant portions of the GDP created by other key industries across Canada. The sector’s activities generated $100.9 million in GDP in the food and beverage merchant wholesalers industry that year and nearly $4.1 billion in GDP in architectural, engineering, and related services. In 2019, the top five industries whose GDP was most affected by their association with Canada’s oil and gas sector included:

• Architectural, engineering, and related services: $4.1 billion
• Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers: $3.4 billion
• Banking and other depository credit intermediation: $2.1 billion
• Computer systems design and related services: $1.7 billion
• Electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution: $1.5 billion

Source: Statistics Canada

CEC Research Briefs

Canadian Energy Centre (CEC) Research Briefs are contextual explanations of data as they relate to Canadian energy. They are statistical analyses released periodically to provide context on energy issues for investors, policymakers, and the public. The source of profiled data depends on the specific issue. This research brief is a compilation of previous Fact Sheets and Research Briefs released by the centre in 2023. Sources can be accessed in the previously released reports. All percentages in this report are calculated from the original data, which can run to multiple decimal points. They are not calculated using the rounded figures that may appear in charts and in the text, which are more reader friendly. Thus, calculations made from the rounded figures (and not the more precise source data) will differ from the more statistically precise percentages we arrive at using the original data sources.

About the author

This CEC Research Brief was compiled by Ven Venkatachalam, Director of Research at the Canadian Energy Centre.

Acknowledgements

The author and the Canadian Energy Centre would like to thank and acknowledge the assistance of an anonymous reviewer for the review of this paper.