Oil & Natural Gas Exploration in Nova Scotia
Oil and natural gas. We hear a lot about it, but do we really know about how it affects our everyday lives?
Join host Maria Panopalis for a glimpse into Nova Scotia's oil and natural gas exploration and production activity.
You'll learn how oil and natural gas are formed, where they're found, and why Nova Scotia's oil and gas industry is important to you.
Video - Fueling the Future
What Nova Scotia's Oil and Natural Gas Industry Means to You
Document - Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Oil & Natural Gas Business & Supply Opportunities
Exploration & Surveying
Exploration determines whether a lease contains enough oil and gas to make a profitable development.
Seismic surveys and interpretation, environmental assessments, sea floor analysis, drilling and well analysis all happen during exploration.
Employees working for seismic surveying and drilling companies usually travel around the world with the equipment they operate.
During the exploration phase, business opportunities for Nova Scotians can include providing supply ships, land surveyors, excavation services, chandler services, helicopter services, multiple engineering and scientific services, diving services, drill rig repairs and maintenance, trucking, accommodations, travel agency services, legal services, rentals, warehousing and commercial leasing.
There are many other opportunities that may come up.
Oil & Gas Development Business Opportunities
When it is known that an exploration site contains enough oil or gas to be profitably extracted, the leaseholder may decide to begin development.
During development, all the facilities and equipment necessary to recover and process, if required, the oil and gas are put into place.
The work includes design engineering, environmental impact analysis, fabrication, installation and commissioning.
During development, business opportunities for Nova Scotians can include many services - engineering, scientific, inspection, non-destructive testing, construction, diving, supply ships, trucking, warehousing, commercial leasing, accommodations, rentals and suppliers of materials and components to name a few.
Oil & Gas Production & Shipping
Production starts after the installing and commissioning of the facilities is needed to extract the oil or gas from the reservoir.
The resource is removed from the reservoir and made available for processing. Depending upon the nature of the hydrocarbon, it may be processed either at the well-site or be transported to an appropriate processing facility.
It can be moved by pipeline, ship, truck or rail car. Production work includes facility operation and maintenance, drilling additional wells to improve production rates and connecting them to the system.
It can also include constructing and installing additional production related equipment, expanding processing facilities as required and decommissioning or abandoning well sites when the reservoir is used up.
During production, business opportunities for Nova Scotians can include facility maintenance and repair, fabrication, diving services, supply ships, trucking, helicopter services, many scientific and engineering disciplines and chandler services.
Other opportunities may also come up.
Natural Gas Distribution
Distribution refers to placing the system of pipes and equipment that delivers natural gas to the individual doorsteps of those Nova Scotians wishing to use it as their source of energy for residential and business needs.
Companies wanting to distribute natural gas in Nova Scotia require approval by the Utility and Review Board (UARB).
Heritage Gas currently provides natural gas to commercial, industrial and residential customers in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax International Airport area, and Amherst.
Gas distribution business opportunities for Nova Scotians can include the provision of surveying and excavation services; the laying of distribution pipe; trucking; and the manufacture, sales, installation and servicing of gas related appliances.
This is not an exhaustive list but merely an indication of the predominant opportunities.
For more information on how your company can participate in the gas and oil industry, please contact the Department of Energy's Business and Technology Division at (902) 424-3413.
For information on this topic please review pipelines.