Canadian Communities Atlas - Weyburn, Saskatchewan

Oil Industry

Oil is one of Saskatchewan's nonrenewable resources and is a major resource in the Weyburn area. PanCanadian is a company in Weyburn that employs many people in the oil business. Our Gr.4 class at St. Dominic learned about the oil industry in Weyburn by listening to a presentation by a representative from Pan Canadian. We learned that oil is very abundant in our area and that many products are made from oil. Most of the oil found around Weyburn is moved and sold to other places.

Pumpjack animation by
Lyndon, Grade 4

Quick Facts about Pan Canadian:

Average oil production: 12,700 b/day
Per cent of PCP's production: 6%
Proved reserves: 43 mmboe
Per cent of PCP's proved reserves: 6%
Wells drilled: 38
Capital spending: $20 million
Operating costs/boe: $3.75
Net acres of land: 0.1 million

Main producing property:

The Weyburn field
Location: 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of Weyburn, Saskatchewan or 78 miles (125 kilometres) southeast of Regina, Saskatchewan

Drilling for Oil
Drilling for oil is a complex, often risky, and expensive under taking, so oil companies want to drill wells where there is enough crude oil to make it worth their while. They hire scientists, called geologists, to study the topography (the part of the earth that can be seen, such as hills and valleys) for rock formations where crude oil is likely to be found. Sometimes the wells have to be drilled very deep to reach the crude oil.

Wells have to be drilled very deep to reach the crude oil. Usually the crude oil in a new well comes to the surface under its own pressure. Later it has to be pumped or forced up with injected water, gas, or air. Pipelines or tankers transport it to refineries, where it is refined into the various petroleum products, such as natural gas, gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, diesel fuel, heating oils, and tars.

Here are some links that will provide further information about the oil industry in our area.

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