National/International Importance

Energy (all sources) contributed 7.6% to GDP in 1996. (Of the $53.1 billion (current $) total energy GDP, crude oil and natural gas industries accounted for $19.3 billion (36%); electric power, $18.2 billion (34%); and pipelines, over $5.3 billion (10%).)

About 82% of petroleum and natural gas production in 1996 (valued at $31.0 billion) was in Alberta.

Direct employment, excluding service stations and wholesale trade in petroleum products, was 189 442 people in 1996, or 1.7% of total employment in Canada. Employment in service stations and wholesale trade in petroleum products accounted for another 91 844 people, or 0.8%.

Energy exports accounted for 10% of total merchandise exports, and the energy trade balance ranked second to forestry as a contributor to Canada's positive overall trade balance.

Capital expenditures in energy-related industries represented 15.1% of total Canadian investment and 2.8% of GDP.

The U.S. is Canada's major trade market for energy products, accounting for 91% ($26.0 billion) of all Canadian energy exports. In 1996, Canada imported $10.4 billion of energy products, mainly from the U.S. (26%), the U.K. (17%) and Norway (24%).

Canada exported 2.8 Tcf of natural gas, or 52% of its marketable production to the U.S. The value of this export was $7.1 billion. In volume terms, Canada accounted for over 98% of U.S. gas imports and had a 13% share of the U.S. market.

Exports of crude oil were 1 122 000 BPD in 1996 valued at $11.1 billion. Over 99% of these exports were U.S. bound. Canadian crude oil held a 10% share of the U.S. market in 1996 and accounted for over 14% of U.S. crude imports. Exports of refined petroleum products in 1996 reached a value of $4.2 billion ($4.0 billion or 95% to the U.S.) on a volume of 106.8 million barrels.

Japan was the destination of over 50% of the 35 million tonnes ($2.4 billion) of coal exported by Canada.

Petroleum * 12th in the world (2.9%), Natural gas 3rd in the world (6.9%), Coal 9th in the world (1.8%)

* Trade data include crude oil, liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) and petroleum products. Production ranking includes crude and LPGs.

 

Energy Facts