Syncrude Canada

http://www.syncrude.com/

Project title: Mildred Lake, Aurora

Type: Open pit mine

Through the 1980s and 1990s Syncrude overtook Suncor as the major player in the Athabasca Oil Sands.  Syncrude is an independent project that is owned as a joint venture that involves many of the largest petroleum companies.  The organizations that own Syncrude include: AEC Oil Sands Limited Partnership, Canadian Oil Sands Investments Inc., Conoco Oil Sands Partnership (Conoco, formerly Gulf Canada), Imperial Oil Resources (Esso and ExxonMobil), Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Inc., and Petro-Canada.

“The Syncrude mine and plant opened in 1978 and has produced more than one billion barrels of synthetic crude oil. Production in 2000 was 74 million barrels . . . Syncrude is in the midst of a major expansion program, which will more than double daily synthetic crude oil production by 2008. The program includes the extension of mining operations to an area 35 kilometres north of Syncrude's existing operations, and a major expansion of upgrading capacity. Imperial's share of Syncrude production in 2001 is expected to average nearly 64,000 barrels a day”.  (http://www.imperialoil.ca/)

“The assets of the Joint Venture consist of the mining, extraction, upgrading and administrative facilities located at the Mildred Lake Plant (approximately 40 kilometres north of the City of Fort McMurray); the Aurora mining, primary extraction, co-generation and administrative facilities (located approximately 35 kilometres northeast of the Mildred Lake Plant); all Syncrude technology; the shares of Syncrude Canada Ltd.; all equipment and materials and all freehold and leasehold interests acquired by Syncrude, on behalf of the Owners for the Syncrude Project, including oil sands leases 10, 12, 17, 22, 29, 30, 31 and 34”. (http://www.syncrude.com/)