Primary exploration for natural gas in the Western Canada sedimentary basin may become as important as primary exploration for oil in the future, if justified by the market demand for natural gas and national gas products in Canada and the United States. Of the three western provinces, Alberta is in the most advanced stage of exploration with a drilling density of one wildcat well for every 29 sq mi of area favorable for gas and oil discovery. British Columbia is second in importance and Saskatchewan has neither large reserves nor potential large undiscovered supply. The Yukon and Northwest Territories are essentially unexplored.

Current exploration trends indicate that in the future carbonate reservoirs of the Triassic, Permian-Pennsylvanian, Mississippian, and Devonian will become increasingly predominant as sources of natural gas in comparison to the gas-producing sandstone beds of the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic.

Under favorable economic conditions, potential ultimate discovery of from 240 to 300 trillion cu ft of gas supply is anticipated in the Western Canada sedimentary basin, including the Yukon and Northwest Territories but exclusive of the Arctic Islands and the continental shelves.