NorthAmOil: Alberta wildfires halt 3.7% of Canada's oil, gas production

Alberta, Canada’s oilpatch, has been experiencing wildfires that have shut in at least 3.7% of national oil and gas production as well as some pipelines. The halted production is an estimated 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).

The province has declared a state of emergency.

"The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) is monitoring wildfire developments as they unfold,” said spokesman Jay Averill on May 9. “Rapidly changing conditions make it very difficult to quantify the overall industry impact," he added. 

"In areas where the threat has lessened, some companies have been able to safely restart operations and bring production back online. It is too early to assess any estimated overall costs as the situation remains fluid," Averill said.

Companies affected included Baytex Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy, Crescent Point Energy, Kiwetinohk Energy, Paramount Resources, Peyto Exploration & Development, Pipestone Energy, NuVista Energy and Pembina Pipeline, Tamarack Valley, TC Energy, Tidewater Midstream & Infrastructure, Tourmaline Oil, Vermilion Energy and Whitecap Resources,

The fires are concentrated in the west of Alberta, where gas is drilled in the Clearwater, Montney and Duvernay areas.