The August 2010 natural gas and petroleum sale resulted in over $98 million in bonus bids, bringing the calendar year total to over $760 million.
"This sale, like others this year, is larger than predicted and is more evidence of the confidence the international investment community has in British Columbia's natural gas and petroleum resources," said Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Bill Bennett.
The Aug. 25 sale offered 81 parcels in northeast B.C., covering 34,349 hectares, and sold 68 parcels covering 31,052 hectares. The average price per hectare for this sale is approximately $3,160.
The key parcels in the sale included:
- Two drilling licences in the Kiwigana River area, 70 km northwest of Fort Nelson, with bids of $5,780 and $9,859 per hectare for a total of over $64 million.
- Twenty-two leases in the Blueberry area, 80 km northwest of Fort St. John, with bids ranging between $2,566 and $5,137 per hectare for a total of over $27 million.
