Energy statistics, March 2024
Released: 2024-05-31
25.5 million cubic metres
March 2024
4.3% 
(12-month change)
10.1 million cubic metres
March 2024
-2.5% 
(12-month change)
684.6 million gigajoules
March 2024
0.7%
(12-month change)
51.9 million megawatt-hours
March 2024
-9.2%
(12-month change)
Primary energy production decreased 1.0% to 2.0 million terajoules in March, largely due to declines in production of coal and electricity. Secondary energy production was down 0.4%.
Chart 1
Primary and secondary energy production
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Electricity imports continue to outweigh exports in March
Total Canadian electricity generation fell 9.2% year over year in March to 51.9 million megawatt-hours (MWh), the ninth month of year-over-year decreases in the last ten months. The decline was primarily attributable to a 17.9% drop in hydroelectric generation, which totalled 29.5 million MWh in March. Quebec (-23.3%), British Columbia (-22.0%) and Manitoba (-31.6%), provinces which rely heavily on hydroelectric generation, continued to be afflicted by prolonged dry conditions.
Chart 2
Canadian hydroelectric generation
Imports of electricity from the United States soared 127.8% year over year to 3.3 million MWh in March, while exports (-57.0%) fell to 2.0 million MWh. This marked the second consecutive month when imports were higher than exports, as well as both the highest level of imports and the lowest level of exports since this series was redesigned in 2016.
Canada is generally a net electricity exporter and Quebec is usually Canada's single largest electricity exporter, but this province's exports have been reduced significantly in the last year due to a sharp drop in water inflows to hydroelectric reservoirs. In March, Quebec's exports were down 83.7% year over year. Ontario (-52.2%), New Brunswick (-51.2%), Manitoba (-40.5%), and British Columbia (-20.7%) also contributed to the drop.
Chart 3
Canadian imports and exports of electricity
The jump in imports in March was primarily attributable to British Columbia (+62.6%), which accounted for 60.8% of all electricity imports.
Crude oil exports to the United States by pipeline reach a new high
Production of crude oil and equivalent products rose 4.3% to 25.5 million cubic metres in March, the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year increases. As crude oil producers continued to ramp up output in preparation for the opening of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, exports through the existing pipelines to the United States reached a new series high in March, up 9.6% to 19.0 million cubic metres. This exceeded the previous high in December 2023 by 310,000 cubic metres.
Chart 4
Crude oil exports to the United States by pipeline
Oil sands extraction increased 4.9% to 16.8 million cubic metres in March 2024, almost entirely driven by production of crude bitumen (up 7.9% to 10.5 million cubic metres). March marked the start of the 2024 spring turnarounds with some oil sands upgraders beginning maintenance activities near the end of the month. As a result, production of synthetic crude slowed, edging up 0.4% to 6.4 million cubic metres.
Production and inventory levels of natural gas climb in March
Production of marketable natural gas edged up 0.7% year over year to 684.6 million gigajoules in March. This was the second highest production level ever seen in this data series, behind the record of 695.5 million gigajoules in December 2023.
Total deliveries of natural gas to Canadian consumers rose 1.2% year over year to 499.6 million gigajoules in March 2024. The increase was largely due to industrial consumption (+9.2%), which includes natural gas used for oil production and electricity generation.
Warmer than average winter temperatures continued to reduce domestic demand for natural gas in March. This, combined with lower exports, resulted in natural gas inventories totalling 819.1 million gigajoules, 53.6% above the March average for the past five years.
Chart 5
Canadian natural gas production and closing inventory levels
Production and consumption of refined petroleum products down in March
Both production (-2.5%) and consumption (-7.9%) of refined petroleum products declined year over year in March, to 10.1 million cubic metres for production and 7.8 million cubic metres for consumption.
Chart 6
Production and consumption of finished petroleum products
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Note to readers
The survey programs that support the "Energy statistics" release include:
- Crude oil and natural gas (survey number 2198; tables 25-10-0036-01, 25-10-0055-01 and 25-10-0063-01). Data from January 2020 to February 2024 have been revised.
- Energy transportation and storage (survey number 5300, tables 25-10-0075-01 and 25-10-0077-01).
- Natural gas transmission, storage and distribution (survey numbers 2149, 5210 and 5215; tables 25-10-0057-01, 25-10-0058-01 and 25-10-0059-01). Data from January 2023 to February 2024 have been revised.
- Refined petroleum products (survey number 2150, table 25-10-0081-01).
- Monthly Renewable Fuel and Hydrogen (survey number 5294, table 25-10-0082-01). Data from January to February 2024 have been revised.
- Electric power statistics (survey number 2151, tables 25-10-0015-01 and 25-10-0016-01).
- Coal and coke statistics (survey numbers 2147 and 2003, tables 25-10-0045-01 and 25-10-0046-01). Data from January 2020 to February 2024 have been revised.
The consolidated energy statistics table (25-10-0079-01) presents monthly data on primary and secondary energy by fuel type (crude oil, natural gas, electricity, coal, etc.) in terajoules and supply and demand characteristics (production, exports, imports, etc.) for Canada. The table uses data from a variety of survey and administrative sources. For more information, please consult the Consolidated Energy Statistics Table: User Guide.
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. Historical revisions will also be processed periodically.
Definitions, data sources and methods for each survey program are available under the respective survey number.
The Energy Statistics Program relies on data collected from respondents and administrative sources.
Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
Occasionally, data from Environment and Climate Change Canada are referenced by the Energy Statistics Program using Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) or Heating Degree Days (HDDs) as a measure of temperature. CDDs reflect the relationship between outdoor temperatures and the need to cool indoors to maintain room temperature. As temperatures outside rise, the number of CDDs increases. HDDs are the opposite and reflect the need to heat indoors to maintain room temperature. As temperatures outside fall, the number of HDDs increases.
Contact information
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