British Columbia saw the biggest year-over-year percentage increase in drilling in Western Canada, as the province rig released 447 wells to the end of October, compared with 388 a year ago – an increase of 15.21%.
Operators working in the province have drilled 1.75 million metres, up 20% from 1.46 million metres a year ago.
Operators across the country drilled 9,222 wells to the end of October, about even with the 9,176 wells rig released during the first 10 months of last year – up 0.5%.
The year-over-year increase in metres drilled over the January-to-October period was larger, however, at 2.9%.
Overall, operators drilled 18.88 million metres to the end of October, compared with 18.34 million metres in the same period a year ago.
Saskatchewan's rig release count is up 4.78% to 2,762 to the end of October, compared with 2,636 a year ago. A total of 4.57 million metres were drilled compared with 4.26 million metres in the year-prior period (an increase of 7.11%).
From January to October period, 5,536 wells have been rig released in Alberta compared with 5,585 a year ago – down 0.88%. Operators drilled 11.63 million metres compared with 11.55 million metres a year ago (up 0.66%).
In Manitoba, the province's drilling tally declined 16.42% to 453 after 10 months, compared with 542 in the same period last year, while metres drilled decreased to 860,751 metres from 1.02 million metres a year ago.
Across Canada, of those wells with a reporting status, only about 12% of the rig-released wells to the end of October have gas as an objective. About 79% of the wells with a status are listed as oil or bitumen wells.
In Alberta, oil or bitumen is listed as the objective for 3,949 wells rig released over the first 10 months of the year, compared with 4,135 a year ago. Wells targeting gas or coal bed methane climbed to 956 to the end of October from 908 in 2012.
Oil is listed as an objective of 2,689 wells in Saskatchewan (compared with 2,521 in January to October 2012), while four gas wells have been rig released (compared with 11 a year ago).
In October, operators rig released 1,140 wells across Canada compared with 1,095 a year ago (up 4.11%). All four western provinces except Manitoba saw year-over-year increases in the drilling count for the month, with 653 wells drilled in Alberta (compared with 636 a year ago), 388 in Saskatchewan (344 in October 2012), 54 in B.C. (35 a year ago) and 44 in Manitoba (compared with 77 in October 2012).
