Natural Gas Annual and Monthly and Natural Gas Liquids prices

 

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The Alberta average reference price is the weighted average price that the producers receive net of transportation costs for natural gas where the weighting is based on production volumes.  

The annual average reference price (ARP) is
based on monthly prices as reported in the Alberta Department of Energy Information letter.
 

Alberta Annual Average Natural Gas(NG), Methane and Ethane Reference Prices (ARP)

Calendar

Natural Gas
ARP1

Methane
ARP2

Ethane
ARP2

Propane2

Butane2

Pentanes
Plus2

Year

$/GJ

$/GJ

$/GJ

$/GJ

$/GJ

$/GJ

1994

1.72

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

1995

1.24

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

1996

1.54

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

1997

1.87

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

1998

1.84

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

1999

2.35

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

2000

4.27

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

2001

5.12

 -

 -

 -

 -

 -

2002

3.68

4.65

4.95

5.10

5.14

5.17

2003

5.81

5.76

6.07

6.14

6.18

6.21

2004

5.98

5.94

6.25

6.31

6.35

6.38

2005

7.87

7.83

8.22

8.33

8.36

8.38

2006

6.22

6.20

6.40

6.41

6.44

6.46

2007

5.88

5.84

6.20

6.29

6.31

6.33

2008

7.47

7.42

7.87

8.01

8.03

8.05
2009 3.65 3.61 3.97 4.09 4.12 4.14

 Source: Alberta Department of Energy    

Notes:      
1. The Alberta average reference price is the weighted average price that the producers receive net of transportation
    costs for natural gas where the weighting is based on production volumes.  The annual average reference price is
    based on monthly prices as reported in the Alberta Energy Information letter.

2. The in-stream components (ISCs) - methane, ethane, propane, butane and pentanes plus reference prices are derived from natural gas reference price based on their respective percentage in the gas stream.
The ISC reference prices reflect the implied amounts paid for the ISC’s as reported for natural gas sales.

3. 2002 ISC component prices are based on three months data (October to December 2002).
2002 natural gas price (ARP) is based on twelve months and it shows inconsistency with other prices.

 

Annual Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Reference Prices

Calendar

Propane

Butanes

Pentanes Plus

Year

$Cdn/barrel

$Cdn/barrel

$Cdn/barrel

1994

12.52

13.05

  22.11

1995

13.99

13.97

  24.20

1996

21.81

17.14

  29.50

1997

18.60

18.71

  29.00

1998

11.15

12.43

  20.99

1999

15.68

18.03

  27.60

2000

32.59

36.52

  46.30

2001

30.71

30.56

  43.08

2002

20.90

27.76

  41.16

2003

32.40

36.10

  45.22

2004

35.20

44.05

  55.44

2005

43.23

51.91

  74.68

2006

44.12

58.20

  78.15

2007

49.80

59.38

  81.60

2008

57.02

83.59

109.77
2009 34.65 56.25   69.49

Source:  Alberta Department of Energy  
Reference prices for liquid propane, butanes and pentanes plus are weighted average sales prices for these
liquids in the Edmonton area.  These reference prices are reduced by regional transportation allowances and
a fractionation allowance if produced liquids are in a mix.  

Monthly Natural Gas and By-Product Reference Prices

Year/Month

Natural Gas $/GJ 

Methane (ISC)$/GJ

Ethane (ISC)
$/GJ

Jan-06

9.52

9.56

9.33

Feb-06

7.38

7.36

7.58

Mar-06

6.47

6.46

6.67

Apr-06

6.18

6.17

6.31

May-06

5.71

5.70

5.77

Jun-06

5.29

5.26

5.57

Jul-06

5.22

5.19

5.48

Aug-06

5.84

5.81

6.06

Sep-06

5.12

5.12

5.14

Oct-06

4.40

4.33

4.82

Nov-06

6.51

6.46

6.86

Dec-06

7.05

7.03

7.17

Jan-07

6.27

6.22

6.61

Feb-07

6.82

6.78

7.14

Mar-07

6.92

6.88

7.17

Apr-07

6.74

6.70

7.07

May-07

6.61

6.56

6.94

Jun-07

6.21

6.19

6.37

Jul-07

5.43

5.40

5.65

Aug-07

4.81

4.78

5.04

Sep-07

4.42

4.38

4.78

Oct-07

4.96

4.90

5.39

Nov-07

5.54

5.50

5.89

Dec-07

5.85

5.79

6.30

Jan-08

6.19

6.13

6.61

Feb-08

6.72

6.66

7.20

Mar-08

7.52

7.45

8.09

Apr-08

8.11

8.05

8.64

May-08

8.92

8.86

9.43

Jun-08

9.81

9.75

10.36

Jul-08

9.84

9.82

10.05

Aug-08

7.35

7.31

7.72

Sep-08

6.28

6.26

6.47

Oct-08

6.27

6.24

6.54

Nov-08

6.25

6.21

6.69

Dec-08

6.36

6.32

6.69
Dec-09 4.51 4.45 4.90

Source: Alberta Department of Energy (ADOE)
Reference price is a weighted average price calculated by ADOE

 

Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Reference Prices

Year/Month

Propane Cdn$/bbl

Butane Cdn$/bbl

Pentanes Plus Cdn$/bbl

Jan-06

$45.96

$62.69

$76.97

Feb-06

$39.43

$58.90

$74.43

Mar-06

$40.43

$57.67

$74.50

Apr-06

$45.49

$62.08

$86.66

May-06

$44.46

$59.82

$84.07

Jun-06

$45.72

$60.06

$88.66

Jul-06

$49.80

$63.90

$89.65

Aug-06

$48.47

$63.90

$84.24

Sep-06

$42.76

$58.23

$70.50

Oct-06

$41.87

$50.90

$68.63

Nov-06

$42.49

$49.48

$63.48

Dec-06

$42.55

$50.74

$75.96

Jan-07

$43.77

$49.00

$68.43

Feb-07

$45.58

$48.73

$71.92

Mar-07

$46.12

$50.35

$72.61

Apr-07

$47.42

$57.51

$77.54

May-07

$47.68

$59.64

$75.82

Jun-07

$46.11

$55.95

$73.78

Jul-07

$47.38

$54.69

$87.37

Aug-07

$48.03

$57.16

$83.53

Sep-07

$51.39

$62.15

$87.34

Oct-07

$54.64

$63.83

$88.30

Nov-07

$59.24

$75.78

$94.23

Dec-07

$60.31

$77.84

$98.37

Jan-08

$60.31

$84.75

$100.41

Feb-08

$59.14

$81.14

$102.09

Mar-08

$58.28

$85.19

$114.82

Apr-08

$62.23

$90.69

$127.67

May-08

$66.28

$95.46

$135.49

Jun-08

$68.56

$101.26

$143.68

Jul-08

$69.96

$102.20

$141.60

Aug-08

$62.78

$100.91

$127.69

Sep-08

$61.73

$87.00

$115.48

Oct-08

$46.90

$79.83

$90.68

Nov-08

$36.06

$52.86

$65.52

Dec-08

$32.01

$41.77

$52.10
Dec-09 $51.92 $70.56 $80.05

 Source: Alberta Department of Energy
Reference prices for liquid propane, butanes and pentanes plus are weighted average sales prices for these
liquids in the Edmonton area.  These reference prices are reduced by regional transportation allowances and
a fractionation allowance if produced liquids are in a mix.

Monthly Natural Gas ISC Reference Prices

Year/Month

Methane
$/GJ

Ethane
$/GJ

Propane
$/GJ

Butane
$/GJ

Pentanes Plus
$/GJ

Jan-06

$9.56

$9.33

$9.11

$9.10

$9.14

Feb-06

$7.36

$7.58

$7.58

$7.58

$7.59

Mar-06

$6.46

$6.67

$6.71

$6.74

$6.76

Apr-06

$6.17

$6.31

$6.31

$6.36

$6.36

May-06

$5.70

$5.77

$5.74

$5.76

$5.77

Jun-06

$5.26

$5.57

$5.64

$5.67

$5.70

Jul-06

$5.19

$5.48

$5.54

$5.57

$5.58

Aug-06

$5.81

$6.06

$6.10

$6.13

$6.15

Sep-06

$5.12

$5.14

$5.09

$5.12

$5.13

Oct-06

$4.33

$4.82

$5.00

$5.03

$5.06

Nov-06

$6.46

$6.86

$6.96

$7.00

$7.01

Dec-06

$7.03

$7.17

$7.19

$7.21

$7.23

Jan-07

$6.22

$6.61

$6.70

$6.73

$6.75

Feb-07

$6.78

$7.14

$7.22

$7.26

$7.28

Mar-07

$6.88

$7.17

$7.23

$7.25

$7.27

Apr-07

$6.70

$7.07

$7.14

$7.15

$7.17

May-07

$6.56

$6.94

$7.02

$7.05

$7.07

Jun-07

$6.19

$6.37

$6.39

$6.42

$6.45

Jul-07

$5.40

$5.65

$5.70

$5.72

$5.74

Aug-07

$4.78

$5.04

$5.07

$5.10

$5.12

Sep-07

$4.38

$4.78

$4.91

$4.94

$4.97

Oct-07

$4.90

$5.39

$5.53

$5.55

$5.58

Nov-07

$5.50

$5.89

$6.03

$6.05

$6.06

Dec-07

$5.79

$6.30

$6.49

$6.52

$6.54

Jan-08

$6.13

$6.61

$6.80

$6.83

$6.86

Feb-08

$6.66

$7.20

$7.40

$7.44

$7.46

Mar-08

$7.45

$8.09

$8.30

$8.33

$8.33

Apr-08

$8.05

$8.64

$8.87

$8.89

$8.92

May-08

$8.86

$9.43

$9.60

$9.62

$9.64

Jun-08

$9.75

$10.36

$10.53

$10.57

$10.62

Jul-08

$9.82

$10.05

$10.03

$10.05

$10.06

Aug-08

$7.31

$7.72

$7.82

$7.84

$7.85

Sep-08

$6.26

$6.47

$6.48

$6.50

$6.53

Oct-08

$6.24

$6.54

$6.59

$6.60

$6.61

Nov-08

$6.21

$6.69

$6.84

$6.86

$6.88

Dec-08

$6.32

$6.69

$6.82

$6.86

$6.89
Dec-09 $4.45 $4.90 $5.12 $5.17 $5.20

Source: Alberta Department of Energy, Gas Royalty Valuation and Markets

 Terms

Marketable Natural Gas - contains primarily methane, with small amounts of in-stream components (ISCs).  These may include ethane, propane, butanes and pentanes that remain in gas stream after processing.

 Natural gas reference price is a market price based on sales of marketable natural gas.

In-stream component reference price (methane ISC, ethane ISC, propane ISC, butanes ISC and pentanes plus ISC reference prices) are derived from gas reference price information based on the percentage of each ISC in the gas stream. The transportation cost per unit of energy differs for each ISC. For Crown royalty purposes, liquid ethane is valued at the same price per unit of energy as ethane ISC.

Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs), the NGL ISC policy was effective October 2002 and ISC data starts from there.

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Last reviewed/revised: 2011-11-04