Monthly Natural Gas Storage Survey (MNGS)

Detailed information for January 2025

This monthly survey collects data on the activities of Canadian establishments primarily engaged in operating natural gas storage facilities.

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

This monthly survey collects data on the activities of Canadian establishments primarily engaged in operating natural gas storage facilities. Data collected cover information such as: opening and closing inventories, injections, withdrawals and heating value of stored natural gas.

These data are required for integration into the input-output sector of the Canadian System of National Accounts. Survey data are also required for international reporting by Natural Resources Canada to the International Energy Agency. Data are made available under the authority of the Statistics Act to other federal departments and provincial authorities through data sharing agreements subject to the embodied principles of data confidentiality. Data are intended for use by survey respondents, international departments and agencies, federal departments and agencies, provincial ministries and authorities, industry associations, industry analysts, the press and the general public to assess trends in the natural gas storage sector of the Canadian economy.

Statistical activity

The survey is administered as part of the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). The IBSP has been designed to integrate approximately 200 separate business surveys into a single master survey program. The IBSP aims at collecting industry and product detail at the provincial level while minimizing overlap between different survey questionnaires. The redesigned business survey questionnaires have a consistent look, structure, and content.

The integrated approach makes reporting easier for firms operating in different industries because they can provide similar information for each branch operation. This way they avoid having to respond to questionnaires that differ for each industry in terms of format, wording and even concepts. The combined results produce more coherent and accurate statistics on the economy.

• Additional documentation

Reference period: Month

Collection period: 10 days after the reference period.

Subjects

• Crude oil and natural gas
• Energy

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population is comprised of all establishments in Canada engaged in operating natural gas storage facilities (NAICS 493190) 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 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 electronic format.

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

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.

The sampling unit is the enterprise as defined on the Statistics Canada Business Register.

Data sources

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

Data are collected monthly using an electronic questionnaire. Respondents are asked to submit the completed questionnaire within 10 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 collected data. Follow-up for non-response and for data validation is conducted by telephone or e-mail in order to reach the survey target response rate (100% per month).

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .