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.