Operators opened up their wallets in Alberta's land sale Wednesday, shelling out a total of $186.63 million in bonus payments, the second highest total for the calendar year, with parcels in the northwest and deep south attracting the highest bids.

Two drilling licences in the Kiwigana River area northwest of Fort Nelson combined for over $64 million at British Columbia's August land sale held this week, which accounted for the lion's share of the $98.15 million auction.

After plunging in May as fears grew about the world economy, light oil prices in Canada have climbed for four straight months but heavy crude posted prices slipped in August due to a widening differential caused by pipelines problems following an oil spill in Michigan.

Canadian oil companies will fare much better this year and on into 2014 as crude production and profits will continue to trend upward on the back of a revival in global demand and rising prices, says The Conference Board of Canada.

The British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission reports that for the ninth straight year, B.C.'s established remaining reserves of raw natural gas have increased, making the province the only jurisdiction in North America able to make that claim, said Alex Ferguson, commissioner and CEO.

Tailings management is an industry-wide challenge and Shell Canada Limited says it wants to openly share with other oilsands operators, academics, regulators and others what it has so far learned about a new technology designed to reduce tailings ponds.

A regional plan for the Lower Athabasca region in northeastern Alberta, including the oilsands, could go to the Alberta cabinet in the first quarter of next year, says the minister responsible for implementing the province's land-use framework.

Although activity is still modest by comparison to peak years, Western Canada's well-servicing companies are seeing a bit more work than last year, thanks to more active oil plays.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach expressed his concern Friday over statements regarding Alberta's oilsands by some U.S. retailers which have joined a boycott against fuel sourced from Canadian oilsands production.

An industry analyst whose previous natural gas price forecasts have been more bullish than most has altered his outlook and joined the bearish camp, saying he's slashing his price projections until the "supply dragon" is slain.

During the middle part of the last decade, coalbed methane drilling in and development in the shallow Horseshoe Canyon formation was firing on all cylinders in Alberta, with the promise of much bigger volumes from the deeper Mannville coal deposits.

Geophysical contractors say they are expecting increased activity in the coming winter season, traditionally their busiest time, compared to the past few years thanks to a variety of factors including revived investment in the oilsands and continuing shale gas interest.

The British Columbia government has awarded $115.6 million in royalty credits to 16 companies for 21 natural gas and petroleum infrastructure projects in northeastern B.C. under the province's Infrastructure Royalty Credit Program.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach announced yesterday that he wants his government's scientists to compare notes with those of a water specialist whose findings indicate oilsands activity is polluting the Athabasca River system (DOB, Aug. 30, 2010).