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Petroleum production in Canada is a major industry which is important to
the economy of North America. Canada is the seventh largest oil producing
country in the world. In 2008 it produced an average of 438,000 cubic metres
per day (2,750,000 bbl/d) of crude oil, crude bitumen and natural gas
condensate. Of that amount, 45% was conventional crude oil, 49.5% was
bitumen from oil sands, and 5.5% was condensate from natural gas wells. Most
of Canadian petroleum production, approximately 283,000 cubic metres per day
(1,780,000 bbl/d), was exported, almost all of it to the United States.
Canada is the largest single source of oil imports into the United States.
The petroleum industry in Canada is also referred to as the Canadian "Oil
Patch"; the term refers especially to upstream operations (exploration and
production of oil and gas), and to a lesser degree to downstream operations
(refining, distribution, and selling of oil and gas products). In 2005,
almost 25,000 new oil wells were spud (drilled) in Canada. Daily, over 100
new wells are spud in the province of Alberta alone.
Most exploration and production occurs in Alberta, with a significant number
of operations in British Columbia—particularly in winter—and consistent
activity in Saskatchewan. Drilling from large offshore platforms occurs on
the Newfoundland continental shelf.
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