(Kitco News) - According to Statistics Canada (StatCan), Canada’s mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sector expanded 1.9% in July, following slight declines in the previous two months, with growth in all three subsectors.
StatCan said that oil sands extraction (+5.1%) increased strongly in July, following decreases in the previous two months. An increase of synthetic oil production coupled with a record level of production of marketable crude bitumen in Alberta contributed the most to growth.
Oil sands output increased following maintenance turnarounds at facilities in the second quarter of 2022, which constrained production leading up to July, it added.
However, oil and gas extraction (except oil sands) was down 0.5% in July, as a decline in crude petroleum extraction more than offset an increase in natural gas extraction.
StatCan noted that crude petroleum was down for the first time in five months, while natural gas production was up for the sixth month in a row.
According to the report, Canada’s non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying increased 2.0%, reaching its highest level of output since July 2020, led by potash mining (+3.2%) for which both production and export volumes have exhibited an upward trend over the last five quarters.
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