The December sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights has capped a record-breaking year for sales in the province.

The $15 million realized in this week's sale brought the 2007 year-end total to $250.3 million in revenue for the province. That shatters the previous record of $199.7 million set in 1994.

The average of $618 per hectare breaks the previous record of $450 per hectare set in 1983.

Once again the Weyburn-Estevan area dominated the sales activity on the strength of the hot Bakken formation oil play, with sales totaling $12.1 million. The Lloydminster area was next at $1.9 million followed by the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $587,000 and the Swift Current area at $478,000.

This month's sale included one exploration licence that sold for just under $350,000 and 176 lease parcels that brought in $14.8 million.

The total bonuses in the Weyburn-Estevan area brought in $12.1 million, an average of $1,042.97 per hectare ($421.67 per acres). This compares to $56.5 million, an average of $2,014.08 per hectare ($815.07 per acres) at the last sale.

The top purchaser of acreage in the area was Prairie Land and Investments Limited who spent $2.8 million to acquire 21 lease parcels. They were also the top purchaser in the province with 25 lease parcels for $2.9 million.

The top price paid for a single lease in the area was $1.3 million paid by Crescent Point General Partner Corp. for a 129.5 hectare (320 acre) parcel offering deeper rights and situated adjacent to the Stoughton Frobisher-Alida Beds Pool, next to the town of Stoughton. This was also the top price paid for a single lease in the province.

Windfall Resources Limited paid the top price for a single licence in the Weyburn-Estevan area, paying $349,527 for a 1,165.09 hectare (2,879 acre) block situated adjacent to the Lake Alma-Ratcliffe Beds Pool, 36 kilometres south of Radville. This was the lone licence purchased in the province.

Provident Energy Resources Inc. paid the highest dollar per hectare in the area, paying $17,012.48 per hectare ($6,884.74 per acre) for a 64.75 hectare (160 acre) parcel offering deeper rights beneath the Steelman Midale Beds Pool, 18 kilometres east of Lampman. This was also the highest dollar per hectare paid in the province.

A total of one licence was posted in the area for 1,165.09 hectares and it was sold for $349,527, an average of $300 per hectare.

There were 114 leases posted in the Weyburn-Estevan area for this sale for 12,039.07 hectares. A total of 103 leases were sold for $11.8 million and 10,495.07 hectares, an average of $1,124.42 per hectare.

The next sale of Crown petroleum and natural gas rights will be Monday, Feb. 11.