New Brunswick will spend the next five months examining whether to end a ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that has been in place since 2014. Premier Susan Holt announced the review on August 26, 2026, pointing directly to escalating American tariffs as a catalyst.
"The events of these past few days have only strengthened my belief that we must look at opportunities here at home," Holt said at the announcement. She was careful to frame the review as just that: a review. It is, she said, "not a green light" to resume drilling.
The government will publish monthly progress reports during the consultation period. A decision will be announced in January 2027.
Hydraulic fracturing is a method of extracting natural gas by injecting high-pressure fluid into rock formations underground. New Brunswick imposed its moratorium in December 2014 under then-Liberal Premier Brian Gallant. Gallant set five conditions that would need to be satisfied before the ban could be lifted: public acceptance, credible health and environmental impact information, a public infrastructure plan for wastewater treatment, consultation with First Nations, and a solid financial plan. In 2018, his government extended the moratorium indefinitely after failing to complete the work required to meet those conditions, including strengthening provincial fracking regulations and revising royalty rates.
The province sits on an estimated 77.9 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, according to government figures.
The new review will ask whether those original five conditions still reflect current science, technology, market conditions, and regulatory best practice. According to CBC News, the process will also cover Indigenous rights, the latest health and environmental science, potential economic benefits, and the level of public support for lifting the ban.
The government will consult First Nations communities, local governments, industry stakeholders, and the general public. A technical working group with First Nations has already been established, according to CTV News.
Holt confirmed there is currently no private-sector company with a specific drilling proposal ready to proceed if the moratorium were lifted. The review will also examine the impact of a 2019 exemption that permits limited natural gas extraction in one part of the province.
The timing is striking given how recently the government ruled the issue out. As recently as March 2025, Natural Resources Minister John Herron said there was no appetite among New Brunswickers to change the status of the moratorium.
The shift reflects pressure from multiple directions. By June 2026, the federal government had signalled its support for lifting the ban. A representative for Internal Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc indicated federal backing for the move, while making clear the final decision rests with the province.
New Brunswick is reviewing the ban as Canada debates energy security more broadly in response to U.S. tariff pressure. Nova Scotia has also moved to lift its own fracking moratorium. Whether New Brunswick's review will lead to the same outcome remains unknown: the consultation is open, the outcome unannounced, and public sentiment at this stage unclear.
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