Table of contents

Monthly reference price calculations

The Alberta Natural Gas Reference Price is a representative market price for natural gas bought and sold within the province, calculated using a simplified netback model. The Natural Gas Reference Price is a critical input into the valuation of the Crown's royalty volume.

In the chart or data table, select the month to obtain the monthly reference prices for natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes and sulphur in PDF. From the chart, you will need to use the back button to return to this screen.

Chart data table
Month Dollars per Gigajoule
January 2.32
February 3
March 2.54
April 2.33
May 2.56
June 2.78
July 3.17
August 2.78
September 3.15
October 4.01
November 4.57
Source: Alberta Energy

Showing the gas prices for each month of the year 2021.

Price archive

Gas reference prices from 1994 to present

Table 1. Monthly Alberta natural gas reference prices monthly by year $/GJ (dollars per gigajoule)

           January February March April May June July August September October November December
2021 2.32 3.00 2.54 2.33 2.56 2.78 3.17 2.78 3.15 4.01 4.57
2020 2.06 1.79 1.60 1.56 1.66 1.65 1.62 1.85 2.00 1.99 2.58 2.41
2019 1.55 2.10 1.99 0.91 1.22 0.55 0.87 0.82 0.76 1.63 2.19 2.22
2018 1.74 1.76 1.54 1.26 0.78 0.75 1.14 0.94 1.03 1.21 1.59 1.69
2017 2.86 2.39 2.20 2.34 2.46 2.39 1.83 1.72 1.20 1.11 1.92 1.82
2016 2.11 1.82 1.36 1.11 0.94 1.23 1.82 1.82 2.12 2.41 2.48 2.75
2015 2.83 2.51 2.53 2.30 2.33 2.36 2.38 2.56 2.55 2.40 2.21 2.12
2014 3.61 5.20 4.90 4.21 4.21 4.17 3.98 3.63 3.64 3.57 3.47 3.39
2013 2.76 2.69 2.85 3.14 3.24 3.17 2.78 2.37 2.14 2.49 3.06 3.22
2012 2.56 2.13 1.83 1.63 1.58 1.75 1.92 2.05 1.94 2.36 2.90 2.98
2011 3.49 3.40 3.19 3.30 3.39 3.51 3.42 3.32 3.14 3.17 2.99 2.92
2010 4.88 4.68 4.05 3.26 3.37 3.49 3.42 3.25 3.14 2.92 3.04 3.34
2009 5.77 4.66 4.01 3.41 3.13 2.97 2.94 2.72 2.48 3.40 3.77 4.51
2008 6.18 6.72 7.52 8.11 8.92 9.81 9.84 7.35 6.28 6.27 6.26 6.36
2007 6.27 6.82 6.92 6.74 6.61 6.21 5.43 4.81 4.42 4.96 5.54 5.85
2006 9.52 7.38 6.47 6.18 5.71 5.29 5.22 5.84 5.12 4.40 6.51 7.05
2005 6.02 5.94 6.30 6.79 6.51 6.34 6.87 7.45 9.46 11.38 10.81 10.54
2004 6.10 5.83 5.49 5.64 6.28 6.47 6.17 5.99 5.21 5.29 6.58 6.70
2003 5.88 6.83 8.94 5.88 5.73 5.93 5.58 5.08 5.19 4.92 4.60 5.11
2002 3.71 2.71 3.23 3.91 3.91 3.54 3.17 2.93 3.51 4.27 4.85 4.94
2001 11.21 8.05 6.48 6.59 5.74 4.44 3.75 3.53 2.76 2.40 3.33 3.20
2000 2.50 2.62 2.72 3.10 3.35 4.33 4.42 3.93 4.66 5.53 5.79 8.28
1999 2.04 1.90 1.80 1.90 2.21 2.22 2.33 2.60 2.86 2.72 3.06 2.54
1998 1.80 1.73 1.71 1.84 1.84 1.71 1.83 1.78 1.56 1.86 2.19 2.22
1997 2.77 2.28 1.39 1.44 1.57 1.65 1.59 1.57 1.73 2.07 2.37 1.95
1996 1.62 1.61 1.60 1.51 1.41 1.37 1.38 1.38 1.20 1.28 1.79 2.36
1995 1.39 1.25 1.20 1.19 1.25 1.27 1.10 1.07 1.20 1.25 1.29 1.39
1994 1.93 2.04 2.07 1.82 1.80 1.66 1.73 1.66 1.50 1.35 1.53 1.56

Average market prices from 1988 to 1993

Table 2. Monthly Alberta natural gas average market prices by year $/GJ (dollars per gigajoule)

  January February March April May June July August September October November December
1993 1.46 1.42 1.47 1.53 1.59 1.56 1.49 1.50 1.55 1.56 1.87 1.94
1992 1.36 1.26 1.22 1.24 1.26 1.28 1.21 1.28 1.28 1.45 1.45 1.44
1991 1.64 1.59 1.49 1.42 1.38 1.30 1.25 1.18 1.18 1.22 1.33 1.36
1990 1.62 1.64 1.59 1.53 1.55 1.50 1.50 1.48 1.48 1.52 1.58 1.64
1989 1.62 1.62 1.58 1.55 1.54 1.50 1.46 1.46 1.47 1.47 1.52 1.55
1988 1.56 1.63 1.60 1.53 1.48 1.46 1.53 1.53 1.53 1.55 1.59 1.61

Contact

Connect with Gas Royalty Operations:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)

Edmonton

Email: [email protected]

Address:
Alberta Energy
Gas Royalty Operations
7th Floor, North Petroleum Plaza
9945 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5K 2G6

Calgary

Email: [email protected]

Address:
Alberta Energy
Pricing and Analysis
Centennial Place
1050, 250 5 Street SW
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 0R4

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