Canada's conventional oil reserves and natural gas reserves declined in 1990, Canadian Petroleum Association figures show.
Crude oil reserves were estimated at 4.4 billion bbl, down 6.7% from yearend 1989. Gas reserves were 71.7 tcf, down less than 1%.
Oil operators replaced only a combined 27% of 1990 production. No changes occurred in established reserves in nonproducing frontier fields.
The first East Coast offshore production is scheduled for 1992 when Panuke/Cohasset oil fields start up off Nova Scotia. Facilities are under construction for Hibernia oil field off Newfoundland, but the field will not begin producing until 1996.
Canada's remaining reserves of light crude in fields on production have declined 16% during the past 5 years. Reserves were estimated at 3.8 billion bbl, compared with 4.5 billion bbl in 1986.
Pentanes plus reserves declined 3.5% to 835.7 million bbl, offsetting the large gain recorded in 1989 that resulted from the Caroline gas/condensate field discovery.
Yearend 1990 estimates of developed oil sands reserves also declined. Production accounted for the decrease in synthetic crude oil reserves associated with the two integrated mining projects.
There was a major reporting adjustment for developed (in situ) bitumen reserves due to an indefinite delay in a major projects.
GAS RESERVES
Growth in gas reserves in British Columbia and Saskatchewan partly offset a decrease in Alberta.
Canadian gas reserve additions replaced 93% of record 1990 production, estimated at 3.787 tcf.
A minor reduction in reserves of liquefied petroleum gases in 1990 disrupted the continuous growth since 1981.
The yearend 1990 reserves were estimated at 1.4 million bbl.
Canada's overall gas reserves picture changed little during the 1980s.
Gas reserves in conventional areas varied from nearly 70 tcf to nearly 80 tcf in 1984 to 71 tcf in 1990. Frontier reserves, about 20 tcf in 1980, climbed slowly but steadily to 25.4 tcf in 1990, CPA figures showed.
Copyright 1991 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
