Onshore natural gas
About onshore natural gas
Onshore natural gas is a land-based natural resource found in rock formations underground. It can be used as an energy source for heating, electricity generation, industry and in vehicles.
Natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient fossil fuel. It burns cleaner than coal and oil, releasing significantly fewer emissions. Natural gas is part of our transition to clean energy. The province can use this cleaner burning fuel to help reach net zero by 2050.
Currently, 100% of the natural gas used in Nova Scotia homes, businesses and electricity generating facilities either comes from, or flows through, the United States.
Nova Scotia has estimated about 7 trillion cubic feet of onshore natural gas in just two of many sedimentary basins in the province. That’s enough gas to meet the province’s needs for 200 years. Currently, there’s no commercial production underway.
Exploration for onshore natural gas could generate $100 million a year and create jobs for Nova Scotians. Full production would create even more jobs and generate taxes and royalties to help pay for schools, roads, hospitals and other services that Nova Scotians depend on.
The Government of Nova Scotia is preparing to attract new investment to responsibly develop natural gas projects here so that Nova Scotians benefit from the economic value in our natural resources and existing infrastructure.
Benefits of natural gas
Using our own natural gas offers many benefits to Nova Scotia, including:
- energy security – locally sourced, reducing imports bought at global market prices using existing natural gas pipelines and distribution system
- economic growth – jobs, tax revenue and rural investment
- lower emissions – less greenhouse gases emissions than other fossil fuels
- reliable power – consistent, flexible power to support intermittent renewables (like wind and solar)
- export opportunity – excess resources could be sold to other jurisdictions
Geoscience research, data and maps
The government funded Nova Scotia Onshore Petroleum Atlas (2017) represents the first comprehensive look at the province’s onshore hydrocarbon resource potential.
This study attempts to quantify Nova Scotia’s onshore resource in the Cumberland and Windsor-Kennetcook Basins, by using the available subsurface geological data and established methods of resource estimation. It also looks at how this resource is distributed between different types of reservoirs and the challenges that presents.
Providing this data openly gives geoscientists and technical professionals the opportunity to reproduce and verify findings, resulting in a better understanding of Nova Scotia’s resource potential.
Building a safe natural gas industry
The standard approach in North America to extract natural gas is called hydraulic fracturing.
As of 2025, more than 200,000 wells have been hydraulically fractured in Canada and millions in the United States. There’s good reason to believe it can be done safely here.
Any natural gas project in Nova Scotia would require rigorous review, including an industrial approval from the Department of Environment and Climate Change and activity authorizations from the Department of Energy. An industrial approval can require community consultation and outlines terms and conditions for the project, including ongoing monitoring and reporting.
Learn more about how the province regulates onshore petroleum projects, find forms and nominate lands at Regulating Onshore Petroleum Activities.
In December 2025, the government launched the Subsurface Energy Research and Development Investment Program. Administered by Dalhousie University, the program will offer financial investments for operators to explore Nova Scotia's gas potential as part of a controlled research initiative. This work will advance scientific understanding of subsurface geology, new energy potential in geothermal or carbon capture utilization and storage and modern drilling technologies in the Nova Scotia environment, helping shape future energy policy and economic development. Program participants agree to share their data and environmental impact findings with project research advisors for inclusion in published research papers.
Projects commissioned as part of this program will produce financial returns for the people of Nova Scotia and the province. Since the provincial financial contribution includes conditions, the Province can hold equity in successful drilling ventures or earn a share of profits of production from resource royalties and tax revenue. Nova Scotians should receive economic benefits, and each project will produce a return in both jobs created and new source government revenue.
Any provincial revenue earned will be partially, but disproportionately, reinvested in the surrounding local municipalities based on proximity.
About hydraulic fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing is a method of producing natural gas from certain rock formations underground that would otherwise be unproductive. The hydraulic fracturing process occurs after a well has been drilled and a steel casing is placed into the wellbore and cemented in place. It involves injecting a solution of mostly water into the rock formation that contains the natural gas, creating narrow fractures in the rock, allowing the natural gas to flow more easily to the wellbore. These fractures are confined to the rock formation that holds the natural gas, and this formation is separated from freshwater zones by one or more impervious layers.
Nova Scotia will take advantage of advancements in technology and science around hydraulic fracturing to make sure it's safe.
Today, operators analyze data to carefully choose drilling sites and approaches. They drill down hundreds of metres below the ground water level and have the ability to drill sideways (horizontally) to reduce disturbance on the surface.
Water recycling technology has improved significantly, reducing the need for freshwater in the process and helping with the challenge of disposal. One well uses about the same amount of water as a golf course would use for one month of watering the grass.
The industry uses fewer chemical additives. Hydraulic fracturing uses a solution of more than 98% water and less than 2% chemicals. Today, there are more biodegradable products and less toxic options.
Wells drilled for hydraulic fracturing are hundreds of meters below the depth of drilled water wells and one or more impervious rock layers separate fresh water formations from formations that contain natural gas or oil. That, along with the well’s concrete and steel casing, means there is very little risk of contaminating water quality in the area. Also, well water surveys are done before and after activity to make sure there has been no impact.
Most, if any, seismic events associated with hydraulic fracturing are small and not noticeable on the surface. Today, operators working in other jurisdictions are required to monitor for any seismic activity within several kilometers of wells and have protocols that include immediately stopping operations for events of 4 or higher on the Richter scale.
Protecting human health is paramount. Regulators set limitations, such as setback distances and well density limits, along with other occupational health and safety measures to reduce impacts on people’s health.