Tenure statistics

Introduction

Petroleum and natural gas (PNG) rights owned by the Province of Alberta can be acquired through a competitive bid auction held about every two weeks. PNG leases and licences are issued to the successful bidders. Yearly, the province holds an average of 24 land auctions (sales). As of March 2022, there were 67 thousand active PNG agreements in Alberta.

After a PNG Tenure mineral agreement is acquired a number of activities follow, including drilling well(s), producing oil and/or natural gas, and proving productivity to continue an agreement. If the leased mineral rights are not developed, or, are no longer productive, the agreement is cancelled and the mineral rights return to the Crown.

Tenure sales

See the Public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights by calendar year (bonuses, hectares, and average price per hectare – each file includes data for Plains, Northern, Foothills and grand totals).

The best measure of the land sale is the average price paid per hectare. The top sale by average price per hectare was held June 1, 2011. A total of $841.6 million was collected at an average price of $3,110.85 per hectare. This was also the year for the highest annual bonus amount for petroleum and natural gas rights at $3.536 billion.

The highest price per hectare was $130,060.00 per hectare, for a parcel sold in the July 5, 1978 sale. The lowest price per hectare a parcel sold for at that time was $1.25 for licences and $2.50 for leases. Today the minimum bid, or lowest price per hectare, accepted for both licences and leases is $35.00/ha. This was changed on October 23, 2020.

The most money paid for one parcel of petroleum and natural gas rights was $123.6 million on August 24, 2011.

Leases and licences calendar year summary

Table 1. Summary of annual public offering of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights by calendar year – leases and licences

Additional years

Table 2. Summary of Annual Public Offering of Crown Petroleum and Natural Gas Rights by fiscal year (April to March) – leases and licences

Additional years

Revenue and activity by fiscal year (April to March)

Table 3. Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) Agreements by Year

Table 4. Annual Revenue (rounded to the nearest dollar)

Table 5. Annual Activity

Contact

Connect with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Tenure division:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-644-2300
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)

Email:
Energy – Bidding – [email protected]
Energy – Crown land data – [email protected]
Energy – Gas royalty – [email protected]
Energy – Oil royalty – [email protected]
Energy – PNG continuations – [email protected]
Energy – Geothermal – [email protected]
Energy – Postings – [email protected]
Energy – Rentals – [email protected]
Energy – Transfers – [email protected]
Energy – Unit agreements – [email protected]
Energy – Well administration – [email protected]
Energy – Crown Mineral Activity – [email protected]
Environment and Protected Areas – GLIMPS – [email protected]

Address:
Alberta Energy
Petroleum and Natural Gas Tenure
North Petroleum Plaza
9945 108 Street*
Edmonton, Alberta  T5K 2G6

*Couriers report to the 2nd floor.