Counter to claims that lack of asset supply increased competition for acquisitions in Canada, there was a rapid shift from a seller's market to a buyer's market in the fourth quarter, according to Sayer Energy Advisors, a Calgary-based M&A advisory firm. Both Husky Oil Operations Ltd. and Talisman Energy Inc. have assets for sale, representing daily combined production of approximately 23,000 barrels of oil equivalent, and Dominion Resources Inc. intends to sell its E&P business, including some Canadian assets. There were assets involving 70,000 to 80,000 barrels equivalent of daily production for sale approaching year-end 2006, and many other divestments unannounced, bringing the total to more than 100,000 barrels equivalent per day, according to Sayer associate Ryan Ferguson Young. Higher debt, new funding challenges and a proposed new Canadian trust tax regime are forcing producers to sell assets or consider being acquired. Some multinational companies may also add supply to the market. For more on this, see the January issue of Oil and Gas Investor. For a subscription, call 713-260-6441.