Overview -
Suncor is an integrated energy company which pioneered the world's first commercially successful oil sands operation in 1967 near Fort McMurray, in northeastern Alberta. Today, with total production nearing the one billion barrel mark and enough reserves to sustain production for the next 50 years, the company remains a leader in oil sands development. Suncor Energy Inc. recovers bitumen from oil sand and upgrades it to refinery-ready feedstock (the raw crude oil fed to refineries for processing into transportation fuels and lubricants) and diesel fuel.
Suncor's mining and in situ leases cover over 1,800 square km and contain nearly 13 bilion barrels of bitumen resources. The company has 2,600 employees working on oil sands projects.
The Base Mine and upgrader are located on the west bank of the Athabasca River and the Steepbank and Millennum Mines are on the east side of the Athabasca. The Base Mine closed in 2002. Project Millennium is expanding the Steepbank mine to the east and south to extend its life through 2026. Suncor has two operating upgraders which process oil sands from Steepbank, Millennium, and bitumen piped in from the Firebag operation.
The Firebag in situ operation is located 40 kilometres northeast of Suncor's original plant. In situ mining uses horizontal wells to reach the oil sands ore that is too far underground for open pit mining. The top well injects steam to heat the reservoir, allowing the bitumen to flow to the lower well where it is collected and piped to upgrading facilities.
With the completion in 2005 of Suncor's latest expansion, crude oil production went to 260,000 barrels per day. Construction is underway for the next phase of growth, which is expected to deliver production capacity of 350,000 barrels per day in 2008.
If a third upgrader receives government approval and is built, it is expected to increase production to 550,000 barrels per day by 2012.
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