After averaging over 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first quarter, oil production in Alberta decreased by 8.6% to an average of 3.53 million bpd in April.

The monthly slowdown was likely a result of planned maintenance-related shutdowns that are a typical occurrence for this time of the year.

On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, Alberta produced a total of 449.0 million barrels (equivalent of 3.74 million bpd) of oil over the first four months of 2023, up 2.1% from the same period in 2022 and 5.1% higher than in 2021.

Conventional (including condensates) production was up by 8.5% YTD, responsible for the majority (over 60%) of the aggregate increase, while oil sands output grew by 1.0% YTD.

Outside of seasonal maintenance, we expect next month’s report to reflect the impact of the shutdowns experienced due to the May wildfires.

Answer to the previous trivia question: June has two “official” birth flowers. One is the rose and the other is the honeysuckle.

Today’s trivia question: How deep is Alberta’s Cold Lake?