Reconciling Canada Energy Regulator and Statistics Canada Crude Oil Export Data

Database Name Commodity Tracking System (CTS) Canadian International Merchandise Trade (CIMT) – customs basis: CIMT database and data tables 12-10-0121, 12-10-0122, 12-10-0125, 12-10-0126, and 12-10-0128 Canadian International Merchandise Trade (CIMT) – balance of payments (BOP) basis: data tables 12-10-0121, 12-10-0122, 12-10-0125, 12-10-0126, and 12-10-0128 Supply and Disposition Crude Oil and Equivalent (Table 25-10-0063-01)
Data Provider Canada Energy Regulator Statistics Canada Statistics Canada Statistics Canada
Description

This dataset comes from summaries of monthly export activity reported to CER by CER-authorized exporting companies. This dataset provides historical export volumes of crude oil (by year and month), and by either type of oil or by destination of export.

This data set is derived from customs declarations and provides details of crude oil exports by a number of variables, such as product type, value, quantity, mode of transport, province of origin, and country of destination.

These data are aligned with other sources of crude oil data published by CER and by Statistics Canada in the crude oil supply and disposition. Value of exports is available by the NAPCS category ‘Crude oil and bitumen’. Price and volume indices are also available for this category.

This dataset includes volumetric production, imports, exports and domestic use of crude oil and equivalent products for Canada and by province.

Potential Data Use

This data set can be used to compare crude oil export volumes, crude type, and destination on a yearly or annual basis. CER crude oil export data could be used to compare against other CER export/import data. Examples of CER analyses include: Crude Oil Export Summary, and Market Snapshot: Crude-by-Rail exports.

Customs data are useful for providing further breakdown of crude oil exports by a number of characteristics.

These data are aligned with other sources of crude oil data published by CER and by Statistics Canada in the crude oil supply and disposition. Value of exports is available by the NAPCS category ‘Crude oil and bitumen’. Price and volume indices are also available for this category.

This dataset can be used to measure supply and disposition of crude oil and equivalent products by type of crude, type of extraction (oil sands, oil extraction) and by geographical region.

Database Link (English)

Commodity Statistics

Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database

Data Tables 12-10-0121, 12-10-0122, 12-10-0125, 12-10-0126, and 12-10-0128

Data Tables 12-10-0121, 12-10-0122, 12-10-0125, 12-10-0126, and 12-10-0128

Supply and disposition of crude oil and equivalent

Open Data Link (English)

Crude Oil - Exports

Canadian Crude Oil Exports by Rail – Monthly Data

CIMT Database

International Merchandise Trade by Commodity (Data table 12-10-0121)

Supply and disposition of crude oil and equivalent

Data Visualization (English)

Imports & Exports of Energy Products to and from Canada

International Trade Explorer

International Merchandise Trade Monthly Interactive Dashboard

International Merchandise Trade Monthly Interactive Dashboard

Other Crude Oil Supply and Disposition Data Available

Data on the volume of crude oil consumed by refineries is available in Weekly Crude Run Summary Data.

Data for exports at the 8-digit HS code level are available upon request.

Crude Oil Production

Condensate & Pentanes Plus Production Imports

Input to Canadian Refineries Inventory

Geographical aggregation

Canada

Canada

Province of origin

Canada

Canadian Totals

Provincial breakdown

Frequency

Monthly

Monthly, quarterly, annual

Monthly, quarterly, annual

Monthly

Historic Data (First Period)

From 1985 onwards for total crude oil exports, exports by type and by destination

From 2012 onwards for exports by rail

1988

1988

From 2016 onwards: Table 25-10-0063-01 (formerly 126-0003); data in cubic metres

From 1985-2015: Table 25-10-0014-01 (formerly 126-0001); data in thousand cubic metres

Timeliness (# of periods after the reference period)

Reference month + 2 months, e.g., January data available in March

Every holder of a licence or order for the exportation of oil shall submit to the CER, on or before the last day of each month after the reference month.

Approximately 35 days after the close of the reference month, e.g. January data available in early March

Approximately 35 days after the close of the reference month, e.g. January data available in early March

Reference month + 3 months, e.g. January data available in April

Revision Policy

CTS data is live once published. Any revisions made by authorized exporters are automatically reflected in the public data set.

Merchandise trade data are revised on an ongoing basis for each month of the current year. The previous year's data are revised with the release of the January and February reference months as well as on a quarterly basis. The previous two years of data are revised annually and are released in February with the December reference month.

Revisions may result from late receipt of customs documentation, as exporters of continuously transmitted goods are afforded more flexibility in the timing of submitting customs documents. Other factors influencing revisions include incorrect information on customs forms, replacement of estimates with actual figures, changes in classification of merchandise based on more current information, and changes to seasonal adjustment factors.

Merchandise trade data are revised on an ongoing basis for each month of the current year. The previous year's data are revised with the release of the January, February, March and April reference months. To remain consistent with the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts, revisions to data for previous years are released annually in December with the October reference month.

Factors influencing revisions include late receipt of import and export documentation, incorrect information on customs forms, replacement of estimates produced for the energy section with actual figures, changes in classification of merchandise based on more current information, and changes to seasonal adjustment factors.

Supply and disposition data are subject to revisions. Energy data are revised on an ongoing basis for each month of the current year to reflect new information provided by respondents and updates to administrative data.

Historical revisions are also performed annually (by calendar month August) to remain consistent with the annual revisions of the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts.

Unit of Measure (Volume)

10³m³

10³bbl

For the HS classification, the unit of measure is cubic metres.

bbl

Volume Notes

CTS System automatically converts imperial measurements to metric using this table

Conversion calculators are available as a Tool on the CER websiteFootnote 1.

One cubic metre = 1,000 litres = 1 megalitre.

For the NAPCS data, Laspyeres volume indices (2012=100) are available on a customs basis, both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted.

Laspyeres volume indices (2012=100) are available on a BOP basis, both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted.

Unit of Measure
(Price/Value)

N/A

CAD$

CAD$

bbl

Value Notes

CER collects export prices, and due to confidentiality, these are not publicly available. The CER shares aggregated data with other federal government organizations, under Cooperative Agreements.

Acquisition Cost - average acquisition cost per cubic metre for the stream specified at the point of input into the oil stream route (transportation system). In the case of equalized streams, estimate cost after equalization. Put another way, the average F.O.B. (Free On Board) price in CAD$ per cubic metre or $US per barrel.

Export Price at Point of Sale - the average price received for the material specified, in CAD$ per cubic metre or $US per barrel.

Input Point - The point where the commodity is input/injected to the transportation system (oil stream route). For clarity, the input point is likely where the oil first enters the transportation route; i.e. where it is from; its first movement from its origin (source).

Point of Sale - the location at which change of ownership occurs. (Indicate the city, province/state and country).

Marine Freight are reported as C.I.F. (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) sales including insurance and miscellaneous costs.

Bank of Canada Monthly average exchange rates used for currency conversion.

The costs of insurance and freight up to the point of exit are included in the declared export value and are said to be valued Free on Board (F.O.B.) point of exit from Canada. This definition includes domestic freight costs from the point of origin to the point of exit.

The value of exports to the U.S. is collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as the value of imports from Canada. Using the Bank of Canada monthly average exchange rate (calculated as the average of the daily noon spot rates in a given month), the U.S. Census Bureau converts the value of U.S. imports from Canada from U.S. dollars to Canadian dollars prior to transmitting the data to Statistics Canada. Therefore, the values that appear on the U.S. files sent to Statistics Canada are in Canadian dollars.

The value of exports to non-U.S. countries can be declared in various currencies, which are then converted by Statistics Canada using the average monthly exchange rate provided by the Bank of Canada (calculated as the average of the daily noon spot rates in a given month). Bank of Canada Monthly average exchange rates used for currency conversion.

Balance of payments basis data are based on the customs based data and therefore the value notes for the customs basis data apply to the balance of payments basis data.

In the compilation of balance of payments basis crude oil export statistics, customs basis values are replaced by data from other sources, which are deemed to more accurately reflect the timing of export shipments. Balance of Payments basis values are calculated by using weighted average monthly export prices from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), freight information from publically available sources and Statistics Canada's Canadian Freight Analysis Framework (CFAF), and volume information compiled from Statistics Canada pipeline surveys and customs documentation.

N/A

Value data not collected

Level of Product Detail

Data categorized by:

  • Crude type (as per CER Act: light or heavy)
  • Destination
  • Mode of transport (pipeline, rail, marine, truck)

Harmonized System (HS) Code at the HS6 level (crude oil is 270900)Footnote 2

  • Country/U.S. State of destination
  • Province of origin

North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) 2017 (crude oil is group 141)Footnote 3

North American Product Classification (NAPCS) 2017 (crude oil is group 141)Footnote 2

Total crude and equivalent

Source of information

Monthly export activity of export authorization holders, self-reported through CER's online Commodities Tracking System.

Canadian international merchandise trade data are compiled from customs administrative sources. Customs based merchandise trade statistics for exports to the United States are compiled from import documents submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and are received by Statistics Canada from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Canada's merchandise trade statistics for exports to countries other than the United States are compiled from the export documents submitted by Canadian exporters to the Canada Border Services Agency. Export documents must be submitted prior to exportation with any required permits, certificates or licenses for controlled, prohibited or regulated goods.

Balance of payments adjustments are applied to the customs based international merchandise trade data at aggregate levels (by NAPCS group and principal trading partner) to account for freight, changes of ownership, country of last shipment, prices and quantities of energy trade, and under-coverage.

Statistics Canada surveys of companies primarily engaged in exploration for and/or production of crude oil or natural gas. (Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Survey (MCONG)).

Provincial and federal energy regulators:

  • Alberta Energy
  • BC Ministry of Farming, Natural Resources and Industry (Natural Gas & Oil Statistics)
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources (Energy Regulation Division)
  • Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

Legal Authority for Data Collection

CER Act Part VII and National Energy Board Export and Import Reporting Regulations (SOR/95-563)

Statistics Act

Statistics Act

Statistics Act, 17(2)(g)

Methodological Background

CTS is a mandatory reporting system for all energy exporters, as regulated by the CER Act. Therefore, it is a census.

Data are input by authorization holders/filers into CTS.

Exporters must report export data within the next month after the reference month. Data is analyzed and verified in the first three weeks of the second month and is published on the CER's webpage eight weeks after the reference month.

CER Filing Manual – Guide CC – Import and Export Reporting Regulation Requirements

Data in the CIMT database and the data tables are produced on a customs basis. Customs-based trade data are derived from the administrative records of the Canada Border Services Agency and the U.S. Customs Border Protection.

Seasonally adjusted data are available in the data tables. Unadjusted data are also available in these tables as well as in the CIMT database.

Further information on the CIMT database.

Balance of payments adjustments are applied to the customs based international merchandise trade data at aggregate levels (by NAPCS group and principal trading partner) to account for freight, changes of ownership, country of last shipment, prices and quantities of energy trade, and under-coverage.

Seasonally adjusted data are available in the data tables as well as unadjusted data.

Monthly Crude Oil & Natural Gas Survey (MCONG)
A mandatory survey of all companies primarily engaged in exploration for and/or production of crude oil or natural gas.

The survey is a census of the target population.

Data are extracted from administrative files.

Further information on the MCONG survey.

Error Rate / Quality Evaluation

Transaction-level data are aggregated and subjected to month over month and year over year analysis to detect errors and explain observed movements.

Transaction-level data are aggregated and subjected to month over month and year over year analysis to detect errors and explain observed movements.

Transaction-level data are aggregated and subjected to month over month and year over year analysis to detect errors and explain observed movements.

The models used to seasonally adjust are reviewed annually by the Economic Statistics Methods Division of Statistics Canada.

Business rules, validation edits, combination edits, and unit value edits are performed on micro data during the edit and imputation process.

Automated checks are performed to ensure the proper application of balance of payment adjustments to commodity groups and principal trading partners.

Time series are reviewed for possible errors.

The models used to seasonally adjust the monthly data are reviewed annually by the Economic Statistics Methods Division of Statistics Canada.

Reporting federal, provincial and territorial authorities conduct their own quality evaluation of data. In order to ensure accuracy and consistency of data such as inter-provincial movements, imports and exports data is reconciled with other energy surveys. These surveys included the Monthly Energy Transportation and Storage Survey, the Monthly Natural Gas Transmission Survey, the Monthly Natural Gas Distribution Survey, the Monthly Natural Gas Storage Survey and the Monthly Refined Petroleum Products Survey. Data is also periodically reconciled with producer province and territorial energy related publications. Other federal departments and agencies most notably Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and the Canada Energy Regulator, various provincial authorities and international organizations such as the International Energy Agency routinely monitor the data.

Notes

  1. The Harmonized Description and Code System (HS code) is a structured, hierarchical customs classification system for goods, developed by the World Customs Organization and incorporated in the Canadian Export Classification. The HS code for crude oil is 270900. Data for exports at this HS6 level are publically available in the database and tables noted above; data at the HS8 level are available upon request, including additional variables such as port, mode of transport, etc.

    The HS8 codes for crude oil are as follows:

    • 27090000 – Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude (only until 2014)
    • 27090010 – Petroleum & bituminous min oil, crude, relative density >=0.9042 (<25° A.P.I.) (2015 onwards)
    • 27090021 – Condensate, derived wholly from natural gas, relative density <0.9042 (>=25° A.P.I.) (2015 onwards)
    • 27090022 – Synthetic crude oil, relative density of 0.8708 – 0.8348 (31.0° - 38.0° A.P.I), sulphur < 0.2wt% (2018 onwards)
    • 27090029 – Petroleum & bituminous min oil, crude, relative density <0.9042 (>=25° A.P.I.), not elsewhere specified (v1: 2015-2017)
    • 27090029 – Petroleum & bituminous min oil, crude, relative density <0.9042 (>=25° A.P.I.), not elsewhere specified (v2: 2018 onwards)
  2. The North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) 2017 categories for Energy Products are as follows:

    • C12 – Energy products
      • C121 – Crude oil and crude bitumen
        • 141 – Crude oil and bitumen
          • 14111 – Conventional crude oil
          • 14112 – Crude and diluted bitumen
      • C122 – Natural gas, natural gas liquids and related products
        • 142 – Natural gas
        • 143 – Natural gas liquids (including condensate) and related products
      • C123 – Coal
        • 144 – Coal
      • C124 – Nuclear fuel and other energy products
        • 145 – Nuclear fuel and other energy products
      • C125 – Electricity
        • 146 – Electricity
      • C126 – Refined petroleum energy products
        • 261 – Refined petroleum energy products (including liquid biofuels)
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