Victoria, BC – The provincial government says this month's sale of natural gas and petroleum rights topped $17.1-million dollars, bringing the year-to-date total to almost $80-million dollars.

The bulk of the May total was comprised of four key parcels – two drilling licences and two leases in the Birley Creek-Umbach area approximately 100-kilometres northwest of Fort St John that collectively earned more than $14.5-million dollars in tender bonus.

While 23 parcels in northeastern BC, covering more than 12-thousand hectares, were offered, a total of 19 were sold at an average priace of $1488 per hectare.  The averages prices in the Birley Creek-Umbach area ranged from $2077 to $2932 per hectare.

A drilling licence provides exclusive right to explore for petroleum and natural gas by drilling wells, while leases provide the exclusive right to produce those products.  Primary drilling terms are for three- to five-years, while leases are for five- to 10-years depending on location.

The June sale will over up five parcels covering almost 7500 hectares.