After a sluggish 2009, oil and gas companies are spending more on exploration rights. (CBC)

After a slow 2009, oil and gas companies are snapping up exploration rights in Saskatchewan at a torrid pace this year.

So far, the provincial government has collected $371.6 million dollars in land sales in this year, the Energy and Resources Ministry said Thursday.

That's up from just $50.8 million at this time last year, when the province was suffering the effects of the worldwide economic downturn.

The August sale of oil and gas dispositions brought $95.8 million into the province's coffers, compared to the $14.8 million the August sale raised in 2009.

"It shows the level of commitment to the province that the oil sector has," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "Clearly companies are stepping up and bidding very strongly into the oil sector of our province."

Boyd said the latest land sales report is a good indicator that the strong drilling activity experienced so far this year will continue.

A government report earlier this week showed that 1,253 oil wells have been drilled in the first seven months of 2010, a 96 per cent increase over 2009 when only 639 oil wells were drilled.

Much of the oil industry's interest continues to be focused on the southeast part of the province, where the oil-rich Bakken formation is located.

The Weyburn-Estevan area received sales of $79.3 million in the August land sale. Sales in the Lloydminster area totaled $10.4 million, followed by the Kindersley-Kerrobert area at $3.6 million and the Swift Current area at $2.5 million.