Whitecap Resources and Veren combine to create a C$15 billion Canadian Energy giant
The companies announced on Monday that Canada's Whitecap Resources, an oil and gas company, will merge with Veren through a merger of equals including debt in order to create a C$15 Billion ($10.43 Billion) company. The combined company is the largest landholders in Alberta Montney & Duvernay, regions which have attracted significant investment over the past few years and hold some of Canada's biggest shale reserves. Energy deals have been a big deal in North America over the past two years. The sector will continue to focus on improving operational efficiency and consolidating its core growth areas in 2025.
Canada mentions potash and oil as a possible lever to use in the tariff dispute
Melanie Joly, Canada's Foreign Minister, told Toronto businesspeople on Wednesday that Canada may use its oil and gas exports to negotiate if U.S. import tariffs increase. Canada has announced that it will impose tariffs worth C$155 billion on U.S. imports, but so far has not indicated whether or not it would reduce the exports of important commodities to the United States. Canada exports approximately 90% of all its crude oil exports to the United States. "Of Course, there is oil and gas." "We haven't laid that out yet, guys. We kept it in our game and in our cards as cards we could play if the situation escalated, and the U.S. is aware of that," Joly stated.
The US natgas price is rising due to concerns about Canada tariffs
U.S. Natural Gas Futures rose 10% on Tuesday to a 26 month high, on record flows into liquefied gas export plants. There was also concern that Canadian gas exports could be affected by the tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico by U.S. president Donald Trump. Canada provides about 8% total U.S. demand for gas, including exports. Some of these return to Canada. The U.S. will consume approximately 90.2 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd), and export another 21.1 bcfd as LNG or via pipelines in 2024 to Mexico, Canada and other countries. The majority of U.S. gas exports are to Mexico. In order to meet this demand, the U.S.
The US natgas price is rising due to concerns about Canada tariffs
U.S. Natural Gas Futures rose 10% on Tuesday to a 26 month high, on record flows into liquefied gas export plants. There was also concern that Canadian gas exports could be affected by the tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico by U.S. president Donald Trump. Canada provides about 8% total U.S. demand for gas, including exports. Some of these return to Canada. The U.S. will consume approximately 90.2 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd), and export another 21.1 bcfd as LNG or via pipelines in 2024 to Mexico, Canada and other countries. The majority of U.S. gas exports are to Mexico. In order to meet this demand, the U.S.
Alberta projects C$5.2-billion budget deficit if Trump tariffs proceed
Alberta, Canada's oil producing province, forecasted a deficit of C$5.2billion ($3.5billion) for fiscal 2025/26 if U.S. Tariffs were implemented. This would result in a decrease of government revenues as well as slowed economic growth. The outlook shows a drastic reversal in Alberta's financial health following what was expected to be a C$5,8-billion surplus for the current fiscal period. It also illustrates the widespread uncertainty Canadian policymakers face as they deal with the tariff situation. How can you plan a budget with so many unknowns? What will the U.S. President say or not say over the next few days, weeks, and months?
Minister says Canada's Alberta is looking to Japan for new LNG contracts amid US tariff threats
Rebecca Schulz is the minister for environment and protected areas in Canada's Alberta, which is a major producer of gas. She said that expanding into Japan was an important goal in light of a U.S. Tariff threat. Schulz, in an interview with a Japanese journalist in Tokyo on Wednesday evening, said: "The United States is a good example of why we need to diversify the markets we export to. Over the last week, she has met with officials, business lobbies, and company representatives. These include JERA, Japan’s largest LNG buyer, JOGMEC (Japan Gas Association), which is chaired by a Tokyo Gas executive.
Canadian Natural Resources will increase production and spending by 2025
Canadian Natural Resources announced on Thursday that it expects to see production increase by 12%, and capital expenditures rise by 13.5% in 2025. The company is betting on an increased demand due to tight oil supply. Canadian oil producers are projecting higher production in 2025. They bet on the resilient demand for Canadian crude oil on international markets. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, fuel demand in the United States will increase in 2025, as the industrial sector is expected to benefit from a reduction in borrowing rates. Canadian producers also benefited from the launch of the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline earlier last year.
Vermilion's Westbrick deal worth $745 million strengthens Canada’s Deep Basin position
Vermilion Energy, a Canadian company, announced on Monday that it would acquire Westbrick Energy, a privately-held oil and gas company. The deal will be for C$1.075 Billion ($746.53 M), mostly in cash. This acquisition will strengthen Vermilion Energy's position in Alberta's Deep Basin. In premarket trading, U.S. listed shares rose 1.8% to $9.03 per share. This acquisition will likely add 50,000 barrels per day of equivalent oil, consisting 75% of gas and 25% of liquid, to the existing production. Vermilion, based in Calgary, Alberta, said that it represented a 5% growth year-over-year and was forecast to generate over C$110,000,000 of free cash flow annually.
Cenovus Energy predicts increased production by 2025 for new projects
Cenovus Energy, a Canadian energy company, forecasted higher oil and natural gas production in 2025. It expects to benefit from the new projects that will be coming online. According to LSEG, the company expects upstream production of between 805,000 and 845,000 boepd by 2025. The midpoint is higher than analyst estimates of 820140 boepd. The company anticipates between 770,000 and 810,000 boepd this year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has predicted that power consumption in the U.S. will increase in 2025, with data centers, manufacturing and other operations driving the demand. This could help gas producers like Cenovus.
Alberta, Canada's oil province, will clean up 5% of its inactive wells by 2023
A regulatory report on Thursday said that the number of inactive gas and oil wells in Alberta, Canada’s largest fossil fuel producing province, dropped 5% from 2022 to 2023, indicating progress in reclamation and decommissioning work. Alberta has 79,000 inactive wells compared to 83,000 in 2012. Inactive wells are no longer producing oil or gas, and must be permanently plugged. The land surrounding them should also be restored. Canada is the fourth largest oil producer in the world and the sixth largest gas producer. Its western provinces have hundreds of thousands active and non-active wells. Some of these wells are orphans.
Canada Environment Minister warns oil companies against retaining emissions data
Canada's Environment Minister warned Wednesday that oil companies who withheld data on emissions would be violating federal law. This was after Alberta's Premier said the province had considered measures to stop a proposed cap. Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, said on Tuesday that her government will introduce a motion to the legislature to allow them to challenge Ottawa's proposed cap on oil and gas emissions. Alberta, Canada's largest oil and natural gas province, is also looking into other ways to undermine the cap should it become law. These include restricting access to oil and gas installations in Alberta as well as access to emission data.
Sunshine Oilsands operations halted by Canadian regulator
Sunshine Oilsands has been ordered by a Canadian regulator to suspend all operations in the oil sands area of northern Alberta, including its wells, pipelines and facilities, due to a continuous failure to comply with environmental and safety regulations. The Alberta Energy Regulator's (AER) order of Nov. 14, also required Sunshine Oilsands to post a C$6,091,318 (4.36 million dollars) security deposit in order to offset the estimated costs of abandoning or recovering a well or an facility. Tuesday, the company didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.
Ovintiv extends Montney footprint by $2.38 billion
Ovintiv, a Canadian shale producer, announced on Thursday that it would acquire oil assets from Paramount Resources in exchange for cash of approximately $2.38 billion. This will strengthen its position in Canada’s highly productive Montney shale. About half of Canada's natural gas is produced in the shale formation that spans northern Alberta, British Columbia and British Columbia. The assets are near Ovintiv’s current operations. They would add 70,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent production to the Montney Formation in Alberta. Ovintiv said that it will also sell its Uinta Basin asset, located in Utah to FourPoint Resources, for $2 billion.
Industry says that the US dependence on Canadian oil should discourage Trump tariffs
Canada's oil industry doesn't expect tariffs to be included in the protectionist measures proposed by Donald Trump, U.S. president-elect. This is because U.S. refineries depend on Canadian barrels. Some Canadian oil industry players saw Trump's victory as a positive, which would encourage energy investment in North America. It could also boost the value of U.S. dollar that Canadian producers get for their crude. Some however, said that any increase in U.S. production of oil and gas could put Canadian exports into competition with other countries. Canada is the fourth largest oil producer in the world and the sixth largest natural gas producer.
Canada's renewable fuel projects are hit by a surge in US imports
Canadian renewable fuel producers will see lower returns from new facilities as a result of a slump in British Columbia’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS). This trend is expected to continue amid an influx of US exports. The weakness in British Columbia's LCFS Credit Market reflects the growing pains of the international biofuels sector, where many regulators are clamping down on imports in order to protect their nascent national markets from an oversupply. Low-carbon fuels cost more to produce than gasoline or diesel based on petroleum. LCFS programs bridge the gap between fuels with low emissions and those that have higher emissions. Canada is behind the U.S.
The Globe and Mail reports that Canada is proposing to support the carbon-capture projects of oil-sands companies.
The Globe and Mail reported that Canada Growth Fund, the federal funding agency of Canada, has proposed to fund a multi-billion dollar carbon-capture project by Pathways Alliance. The Alliance represents Canada's largest oil sands producers. According to a report published on Sunday, which cited sources familiar with this matter, the CGF's offer is likely to start further negotiations. However, the final agreement is still months away as the two sides are at odds on certain key terms. Carbon capture is the process by which the carbon dioxide produced from industrial activity can be stored underground. The report did not mention any financial details regarding the investment.
Canada regulator suspends Imperial's application to extend Norman Wells oil permits
The Canada Energy Regulator announced on Tuesday that Imperial Oil has put its application to extend life of the remote Norman Wells oil-and-gas facility in Canada's Northwest Territories on hold until a report on environmental assessment is completed. The Norman Wells site is located on nine islands, both natural and artificial in the Mackenzie River (Canada's longest river) and near the town of Norman Wells. Imperial, owned by Exxon Mobil Corp., requested last year that its Norman Wells Operating Permit, due to expire Dec. 31, 2024, be extended by an additional 10 years.
Canadian Natural Gas Companies eager to capitalize on the LNG boom flood the market with excess supply
Analysts said that a huge LNG Canada terminal, led by Shell, could struggle to raise Canadian natural-gas prices dramatically when it begins operating next year, because of a glut of supply waiting to be released. Storage was full, and the price of a million British thermal unit (mmBtu), which had been at a high for two years, dropped to 5 Canadian cents in late September. The slump hurts producers who increased drilling activity in anticipation of LNG Canada's new demand and has prompted some firms curtail their production. Analysts and executives at the companies estimate that between 800 million to 1 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of gas has been shut down…
Chevron sells assets worth $6.5 billion to Canadian Natural Resources
Chevron announced on Monday that it would sell its assets in the Athabasca Oilsands and Duvernay Shale fields to Canadian Natural Resources at a price of $6.5 billion. This is part of its divestment plan. The cash-only transaction is part of the company's strategy to sell assets worth $10 to $15 billion by 2028. Chevron will be able to produce 84,000 barrels equivalent per day (boepd), based on the assets located in Alberta Canada. Wood Mackenzie reported in January that the Duvernay was one of Canada's most important shale plays, with eight deals totaling $2.9 billion over the past three years. Shell will hold the remaining 10%.
Alberta regulator fines Imperial Oil over tailings leak
Alberta Energy Regulator announced on Thursday that it had imposed a C$50,000 administrative penalty ($36,764.71) against Imperial Oil for a toxic tailings spill at Kearl Oil Sands Mine. The leak lasted months. The AER also requested that the Canadian energy company submit two reports in order to increase awareness of the leaks. One report will focus on monitoring and mitigating seepage, and the second on the possible impacts of the release industrial wastewater. Exxon Mobil, which owns the Kearl Mine of Imperial, has been leaking toxic tailings for several months. It was only discovered when the company reported another leak in February 2018.
