BC Crown Sales of Petroleum and Natural Gas rights are officially back, after more than a 3 year hiatus. The last sale was in May 2021, before reopening with a small sale in December 2024, followed by a sale in January and February of this year. No parcels were offered in the March sale.
The results in these initial sales have been timid, with no more than a few sections being sold at any of the initial sales. The combined dollar bonus of the first three sales is well below a million dollars.
Postings do come with a long list of caveats associated with the rights. Caveats include the respect of Treaty 8 First Nations agreements, cumulative effects analysis, early engagement with any affected First Nations, various wildlife considerations, environmental factors, and more.
The next BC Crown sale is set for April, and the posting appears to show a little bit more interest in this upcoming sale. In total, 10,835 hectares (~42 sections) of rights have been posted.