Producers rig released 2,400 wells across Canada in the first half of 2022, excluding experimental holes, a 32 per cent increase from 1,825 wells drilled in January-June 2021.

Year-over-year gains were especially strong in Alberta, although drilling activity also rose in Saskatchewan and Manitoba during the half compared to the prior year. Drilling activity declined in British Columbia.

Total metres drilled across the country increased to 7.95 million metres (excluding experimental wells) in the January-June period, up from 5.95 million metres drilled a year ago (up about 34 per cent).

Provincial stats, excluding experimental wells

Producers working in Alberta rig released 1,620 wells during the first half of 2022 compared to 1,049 a year ago (up 54 per cent). Operators drilled 5.73 million metres in the province compared to 3.64 million metres in the year-prior period (up 58 per cent).

Saskatchewan’s six-month rig release tally rose eight per cent to 527 wells from 486 in last year’s first half. Metres drilled increased to 1.19 million metres from 1.02 million metres last year (up 17 per cent).

In B.C., rig releases for January-June declined 26 per cent to 177 from 239 a year earlier, and metres drilled slumped 27 per cent to 863,583 metres from 1.19 million metres a year ago.

Operators in Manitoba drilled 71 wells in the first six months of the year compared to 47 wells a year ago, while metres drilled lifted to 159,136 from 106,520 metres last year.

Operators in Western and Northern Canada rig released 7.86 million metres of development hole in the first half of 2022, up from 5.87 million metres a year ago.

There were 2,367 development wells rig released in Western and Northern Canada to the end of June, up from 1,796 wells a year ago.

Operators rig released 28 exploratory holes in the first six months of 2022 compared to 25 a year ago, while 80,771 metres of exploratory hole were drilled in Western and Northern Canada, up from 69,997 metres in the first half of 2021.

The average depth/length of development and exploratory wells rig released in Western and Northern Canada during the first half lifted to 3,314 metres compared to 3,264 metres a year ago.

Rig release counts, including experimental wells

Producers rig released 2,702 wells during the first half of the year, including experimental wells, an increase of 32 per cent from 2,040 wells drilled in the year-prior period.

In June, drillers rig released 390 wells compared to 355 in June 2021.

Many of the wells drilled to the end of June are still listed as standing. Of those with a final status (oil, gas, dry or service, obs), about 76 per cent of the wells being drilled are resulting in oil wells this year and gas wells account for about 24 per cent of the wells with a listed status.

In the first half, 1,346 of the wells drilled in Alberta had oil or bitumen as an objective compared to 822 wells last year, while 423 were approved for natural gas targets compared to 321 in January-June 2021. In Saskatchewan, 509 wells have chased oil, up from 414 a year ago, while three were approved for natgas targets compared to seven last year.