Pipeline transportation of oil and other liquid petroleum products, December 2018
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Released: 2019-03-04
Crude oil receipts up
Pipelines in Canada received 23.4 million cubic metres of crude oil and equivalent products from fields and plants in December, up 2.5% compared with the same month in 2017. The vast majority of these receipts (87.7%) originated in Alberta. Receipts from fields and plants in December was at its highest level since this series began in January 2016.
Chart 1
Pipeline receipts of crude oil from fields and plants, and closing inventory of crude oil
Closing inventory of crude oil declines
In December, closing inventory of crude oil totalled 11.9 million cubic metres, down 8.0% year over year.
Crude oil deliveries down
Pipelines delivered 7.7 million cubic metres of crude oil to Canadian refineries in December, down 3.7% year over year. Of the total volume, 62.1% was sent to refineries in the western provinces.
Crude oil trade
In December, exports of crude oil and equivalent products to the United States by pipelines totalled 15.5 million cubic metres, up 7.2% year over year. Meanwhile, imports decreased 31.5% to 1.5 million cubic metres.
Chart 2
Exports and imports of crude oil by pipeline
Propane, butane and other products
Pipelines received 3.0 million cubic metres of propane, butane, and other products from Canadian fields and plants in December, while closing inventory totalled 1.7 million cubic metres.
2018 in review
Pipelines in Canada received 258.9 million cubic metres of crude oil and equivalent products from fields and plants in 2018, up 2.3% from 2017. Deliveries to refineries totalled 89.2 million cubic metres in 2018, down 1.5% from 2017.
Exports by pipeline to the United States increased 5.3% from 2017 to 182.3 million cubic metres in 2018, while imports declined 20.2% to 20.4 million cubic metres.
Opening inventory of crude oil totalled 12.9 million cubic metres in January 2018. Closing inventory of crude oil was down 8.0% to 11.9 million cubic metres as of December 2018.
Chart 3
Receipts from fields and plants and exports
Note to readers
In early 2019, this Daily article will be part of a new consolidated monthly energy release where data from multiple monthly energy surveys will be released on the same day.
Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
For more information, consult the methodology document "Monthly Oil and Other Liquid Petroleum Products Pipeline Survey."
Definitions
Crude oil and equivalent products include the following liquid hydrocarbons: crude oil, condensate, pentanes plus, and synthetic crude oil.
Inventory include inventory held in pipelines, tanks and terminals, but exclude inventory held in field batteries and inventory held in the United States.
Receipts from fields and plants include receipts from batteries and terminals associated with field separators and field upgraders, and receipts from gas processing plants and extraction plants. Receipts from fractionation plants are excluded.
Imports include receipts of foreign-produced oil, condensate, natural gas liquids and petroleum products destined for use in Canada.
Exports include deliveries of Canadian-produced oil, condensate, natural gas liquids and petroleum products destined for use outside Canada.
Deliveries to refineries include deliveries to upgrader/refinery complexes.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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