UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

Report of Foreign Private Issuer

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date: February 17, 2005

Commission File Number: 001-03793

CANADA SOUTHERN PETROLEUM LTD.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

Suite 250, 706 – 7th Avenue S.W.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 0Z1

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

Form 20-F ¨ Form 40-F T

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):_____

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):_____

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

Yes ¨ No T

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- .

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.

Description

Company Press Release, dated February 17, 2005

Exhibit 1

Canada Southern Petroleum Ltd.

News Release

CANADA SOUTHERN ANNOUNCES KOTANEELEE DRILLING UPDATE

CALGARY, Alberta, February 17, 2005 -- Canada Southern Petroleum Ltd. (the Company) (NASDAQ:CSPLF) (TSX:CSW.LV) (BOSTON:CSW) (PCX:CSPLF) today reported that further to the Company’s press release of January 17, 2005, the Kotaneelee L-38 development well in the Yukon Territories has encountered the Nahanni Formation and intermediate casing has been set. The operator plans to continue drilling into the Nahanni shortly.

The Company will provide further updates after the well has finished drilling and has been evaluated.

* * * * * *

Canada Southern Petroleum Ltd. is an independent energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Company is engaged in oil and gas exploration and development, with its primary interests in producing properties in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada. The Company’s limited voting shares are traded on the NASDAQ SmallCap Market and the Pacific Exchange, Inc. under the symbol “CSPLF,” on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “CSW.LV” and on the Boston Stock Exchange under the symbol “CSW.” The Company has 14,417,770 shares outstanding.

Any statements in this release that are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the "Safe Harbor Statement" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Among these risks and uncertainties are uncertainties as to the costs, pricing and production levels from the properties in which the Company has interests, the extent of the recoverable reserves at those properties, and the significant costs associated with the exploration and development of the properties in which the Company has interests, particularly the Kotaneelee field. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Company does caution, however, that results in 2004 will be significantly lower than in 2003, which were favorably affected by settlement of the Kotaneelee litigation.

For further information contact: John W.A. McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer at (403) 269-7741.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

CANADA SOUTHERN PETROLEUM LTD.

(Registrant)

By: /s/ John W. A. McDonald

John W. A. McDonald

February 17, 2005

President and Chief Executive Officer

CANADA SOUTHERN PETROLEUM LTD 6-K