Canada Moves Up in Global Ranking for Gas Reserves

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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Canada moved up in the ranks of countries with vast reserves of natural gas after updates to the resource potential in Alberta, the provincial government said.

Alberta produces an average of 10.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas, representing about 60% of total Canadian production. The Alberta Energy Regulator commissioned McDaniel and Associates Consultants Limited (Calgary, Alberta) to review provincial gas reserves, finding Alberta holds about 1.3 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas. Of that, 130 trillion cubic feet is in proved and recoverable reserves.

Adding these numbers to total provincial reserves across Canada moves it from the 15th spot to No. 9 in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, according to Alberta.

"The continued expansion of Alberta's reserves offers immense potential for long-term energy security, ensuring a reliable source of energy to support both domestic needs and international markets," said Mike Verney, an executive vice president at McDaniel and Associates, Wednesday.

The U.S. is the world leader in gas production by far, with an average daily rate that's about 10 times as high as Canada's. But while gas flows both ways across the U.S.-Canadian border, the U.S. is a net importer of Canadian gas to the tune of about 5 Bcf/d.

"Without Canadian imports, there are certain periods where gas prices in some regions would experience extreme volatility due to a lack of local production or accessibility to domestic production," said Jesus Davis, Industrial Info's vice president of energy services.

Trade policies from U.S. President Donald Trump could change that. Trump last month imposed tariffs on Canadian imports; last week, his administration paused until April 2 penalties on Canadian oil and gas, as well as duties on other goods that are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In a tense tit-for-tat exchange of threats, Trump said Canada may be better off as part of the U.S.

In response, Canada threatened its own tariffs, and the cross-border row could erupt in a full-on trade war. With pipeline networks largely integrated in North America, Canadian leaders are looking for ways to tap the energy-hungry markets of the Asia-Pacific through exports from British Columbia.

Cedar LNG will consist of a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility in Kitimat, with a nameplate capacity of about 440 million cubic feet per day. Cedar is controlled by Pembina Pipeline Corporation (NYSE:PBA) (Calgary) and the aboriginal Haisla Nation.

While that's a drop in the bucket relative to the global appetite for LNG, it offers economies in the Asia-Pacific shorter transit routes relative to LNG coming out of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Oil & Gas Project and Plant databases can learn more about Cedar LNG from a detailed project report and plant profile.

IIR Energy finds LNG projects under construction in Canada have a total investment value of $21 billion, the largest of which is LNG Canada's facility in Kitimat, British Columbia. Subscribers can click here for a list of detailed project reports for LNG projects under construction in Canada, and can click here for a list of related plant profiles.

Construction activities for LNG Canada's facility are nearly complete. The inaugural batch of feedgas went into the facility in late 2024 through the Coastal GasLink pipeline and operators expect to see first cargoes delivered later this year.

LNG Canada volumes would be about 1.8 Bcf/d. That would double should the facility add two new trains, or liquefaction units, as expected.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).