REGINA, Sask. — The oil and gas industry in Saskatchewan continued to grow last year, with a record number of gas wells drilled in the province.

Trucking companies tailoring to the oil and gas sector were kept busy, with a total of 3,511 oil and gas wells being drilled. More than 1,870 of those wells were gas wells, breaking the previous record set in 2001.

“We’re up slightly from last year, but there’s been a big shift from oil to gas," Bruce Wilson, executive director of Industry and Resources’ petroleum and natural gas division, tells local media.

That’s largely due to the Shackleton gas reserve near Swift Current which was discovered in 1999. It’s suspected to contain half a trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Another factor helping the oil and gas industry excel is the rising cost of both oil and natural gas, which Wilson says bodes well for the upcoming year.

“On the oil side, we’re looking for a better year in 2003," says Wilson, while on the natural gas side, “all indications point to another strong year."