Natural Gas Supply and Disposition

Detailed information for February 2026

The purpose of this survey is to collect administrative data provided by federal, provincial and territorial authorities responsible for the regulation of natural gas production within their respective jurisdictions and data on the activities of Canadian establishments primarily engaged in operating natural gas storage, distribution and transmission systems. Data is compiled on natural gas production, gross withdrawals, imports and exports, storage inventories, withdrawals, injections and adjustments, deliveries to industrial, commercial/institutional and residential customers, as well as inter-regional transfers for Canada and the provinces and territories.

Data release - April 23, 2026

• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

This monthly survey utilizes survey data and administrative data provided by federal, provincial and territorial authorities responsible for the regulation of natural gas within their respective jurisdictions. Data are compiled on natural gas production, transmission, storage and distribution, and include derived provincial receipts and deliveries for Canada and the provinces and territories.

The data are required for integration into the input-output sector of the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (CSMA). Data is made available under the authority of the Statistics Act to other federal departments and provincial authorities through data sharing agreements subject to embodied principles of data confidentiality. Data is intended for use by survey respondents, industry associations, industry analysts and the public to assess supply and disposition trends.

Reference period: Month

Collection period: Data collection is conducted monthly; 1 to 15 days following the end of the survey reference month.

Subjects

• Crude oil and natural gas
• Energy
• Energy consumption and disposition
• Pipelines

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population is comprised of all establishments in Canada engaged in pipeline transmission of natural gas (NAICS 486210), in operating natural gas storage facilities (NAICS 493190) and in pipeline distribution of natural gas (NAICS 221210), all under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2022). The observed population are those establishments in the target population for which business information is available on Statistics Canada's Business Register.

• Additional documentation

Instrument design

The survey questionnaires were designed using Statistics Canada questionnaire design standards. The design was done in consultation with the survey's partners (i.e. provincial energy boards and the Canadian Gas Association). The questionnaire is respondent completed in paper format delivered by mail or in electronic format.

The questionnaires are subject to regular revision to reflect changes in business activities and practices.

This does not apply to the administrative components of this program.

Sampling

This survey is a census with a cross-sectional design.

Data are collected for all units of the target population; therefore, no sampling is done.

Data sources

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents and extracted from administrative files.

Data is collected monthly using an electronic questionnaire. Respondents are asked to submit the completed questionnaire within 15 days of receipt. Upon receipt, the data from the questionnaire are processed directly into the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). Editing is performed to ensure the validity of the data received. Follow-up for non-response and for data validation is conducted by telephone or e-mail to reach the survey target response rate (100% per month).

Data is also extracted from administrative files that are compiled from information provided in a tabular form by federal, provincial and territorial authorities responsible for the regulation of the production of these commodities within their respective jurisdictions. Data are provided by the following organizations: Canada's Petroleum Information Network (Petrinex), Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources, Alberta Energy Regulator, British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions. The Canada Energy Regulator provides data for the Northwest Territories.

Error detection

Error detection is an integral part of both collection and data processing activities. Edits are applied to data records during collection to identify reporting and capture errors. These edits identify potential errors based on year-over-year changes in key variables, totals, and ratios that exceed tolerance thresholds, as well as identify problems in the consistency of collected data (e.g. a total variable does not equal the sum of its parts). During data processing, other edits are used to automatically detect errors or inconsistencies that remain in the data following collection. These edits include value edits (e.g. Value > 0, Value > -500, Value = 0), linear equality edits (e.g. Value1 + Value2 = Total Value), linear inequality edits (e.g. Value1 >= Value2), and equivalency edits (e.g. Value1 = Value2). When errors are found, they can be corrected using the failed edit follow up process during collection or via imputation. Extreme values are also flagged as outliers, using automated methods based on the distribution of the collected information. Following their detection, these values are reviewed to assess their reliability. Manual review of other units may lead to additional outliers being identified and assessed on a case-by-case basis. In general, every effort is made to minimize the non-sampling errors of omission, duplication, misclassification, reporting and processing.

Imputation

The response rate for the monthly surveys is 100% and as such, imputation for non-response is not normally required. However, on occasion some survey and /or administrative data may be unavailable or reported late. In such cases missing data is imputed on a manual basis using historical information. For example, data from the same month in the previous year, or the average of the three previous years.

Estimation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Quality evaluation

To ensure the accuracy and consistency of data such as inter-provincial movements, imports and exports of natural gas, and deliveries to final customers, the results of the survey are reconciled with other Statistics Canada energy surveys. Other federal departments and agencies most notably Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and the Canada Energy Regulator, various provincial authorities and international organizations such as the International Energy Agency routinely monitor the data.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are published to prevent the disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

Micro data is only shared or disclosed to organizations with whom Statistics Canada has an official data sharing agreement in place. All company records are removed for any respondent who has written to the Chief Statistician to object to the sharing of their data.

17(2)(g): Respondents to this survey are defined as carriers or public utilities, in accordance with subsection 17(3) of the Statistics Act. Under paragraph 17(2)(g) of the Act, the Chief Statistician may, by order, authorize information relating to any carrier or public utility to be disclosed. If the Chief Statistician authorizes it, all tabular estimates may be released publicly whether they disclose a business or not.

Non-17(2)(g): A generalized system (G-Confid) is used to assess and apply disclosure control to the tabular estimates. Sensitivity rules are applied to the data, and a suppression pattern is created which indicates which cells may be published and which cannot be disclosed for reasons of confidentiality. The system can automatically assess tabular relationships and map cells to various sources, as well as consider previous periods' patterns and revisions to ensure completeness and consistency of confidentiality.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

Data are subject to revisions. Energy survey data and other supporting data are generally revised on a quarterly basis to reflect new information provided by respondents and updates to administrative data. Occasionally, there are exceptions when monthly revisions may be necessary, depending on the scale and impact of the revisions on the data series. Historical revisions will also be processed periodically.

The data is not seasonally adjusted.

Data accuracy

The survey is a census of the target population. Consequently, under-coverage is minimal, and therefore minimal bias resulting from non-response. If changes are received from respondents, the published data is revised.

Administrative data provided by federal, provincial and territorial authorities represent a census of the target population.