Natural gas use in Alberta’s oil sands is approaching its typical seasonal low point near the end of May but still averaging at record levels for this time of year. Based on data from RBN’s Canadian NatGas Billboard, May 2025-to-date oil sands gas demand has averaged 2.78 Bcf/d, about 0.12 Bcf/d (+4.5%) higher than for the same period in May 2024 and a record for this time of year (blue line inside green dashed box in chart below). To date in 2025, gas use in the oil sands is estimated to have averaged 3.11 Bcf/d versus 3.00 Bcf/d for the same timeframe in 2024, an increase of 3.7%. With multiple companies in the oil sands undertaking production expansions, RBN expects that oil sands gas use and bitumen output will set new records in 2025.
Featured Articles
- Analyst Insight
Oil Sands Gas Demand Setting Seasonal Records, Suggesting Record Bitumen Production
Alberta's oil sands have been using seasonal record amounts of natural gas so far in 2025, pointing to the likelihood of record bitumen output from the oil sands.
- Analyst Insight
Oil Sands Gas Demand Sets Summer Record in August
Alberta's oil sands gas consumption has been setting summer records this year and coinciding, unsurprisingly, with record bitumen output from the oil sands.
- Analyst Insight
Oil Sands Gas Demand Rebounds After Short Term Dip Due to Wildfires
Gas use in the oil sands has rebounded from a late May low created by a temporary shut down of some oil sands bitumen production sites.
