News & views - Facts about oil and natural gas

Facts

In 2008 oil supplied 35% of the world's energy — the largest share of any form of energy.
Oil is abundant. Canada has the second largest oil reserve base in the world, with Saudi Arabia having the largest.
A full 87% of the world's known oil reserves are state-owned or state-controlled. Only 13% is openly accessible to international oil companies. Of that 13%, 6% is in Alberta.
As energy demand continues to grow the world has moved to heavier sources of oil. About 80% of the entire oil reserves is the heavier oil, like that in northern Alberta, that can only be accessed using enhanced oil recovery methods, such as SAGD.
The need for oil isn't going away. The demand for energy in 2035 is projected to be 60 to 100% higher than it was in 2008. As conventional oil resources are depleted, the world will rely more on unconventional sources of oil such as the oil in the Athabasca region.
Oil plays a part in practically every product a person uses in their everyday lives: made from oil, made by machinery dependant on oil, or transported by oil as either gasoline or diesel fuel.

Sources: CERA, CAPP, Canadian Centre for Energy

Canada's natural gas reserves rank 20th in the world.
Canada is the third largest natural gas producer in the world.
Approximately 90 percent of all natural gas imported into the United States comes from Canada.
A total of 8,127 natural gas wells were drilled in Canada in 2008.
There are over 120,000 natural gas vehicles operating on American roads.

Sources: API, BP Statistical Review, CAPP, US Department of Energy