Wildfires in northern Alberta have persisted in disrupting operations at some oil sands sites, prompting Cenovus Energy to demobilize non-essential staff from its Sunrise project this week as a precautionary measure amidst heat and wildfire alerts in the region.
The Sunrise project, wholly owned and operated by Cenovus, is situated approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Despite the precautionary measures, production at Sunrise, which typically yields around 48,900 barrels per day (bpd), remains unaffected, as confirmed by a spokesperson from Cenovus in remarks carried by Fort McMurray Today.
Similarly, Imperial Oil reported that its Kearl oil sands project, located about 70 kilometers north of Fort McMurray, remained unimpacted by the wildfires as of Tuesday.
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Earlier last week, Suncor temporarily ceased operations at its Firebag oil sands project in Alberta due to wildfire concerns. The Firebag project, with a capacity of 215,000 barrels of crude daily, is being kept on standby for a swift return to full operation.
Despite periodic disruptions, Alberta’s oil producers achieved record-high production levels in May, signaling growth in an industry that continues to face challenges. Oil sands operators collectively produced 3.68 million barrels of oil daily in May, reflecting a significant increase from the previous year.
Looking ahead, the Alberta Energy Regulator forecasts a robust growth trajectory for oil production in the province, projecting a 17% increase by 2033 to reach a daily output of 4 million bpd. This growth is expected to primarily stem from in situ bitumen operations rather than traditional oil sands mines, according to the regulator’s recent report.