Suncor to start process of resuming oil sands operations

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Suncor Energy Inc. plans to start the process of resuming its idled northern Alberta oil sands operations as early as Monday, beginning with bringing a small number of its evacuated workers back, a company executive said.

In a memo to employees, executive vice-president Mark Little said the company will begin a staged "remobilization" of workers to its base plant, Firebag and MacKay River oil sands projects, as well as its east tank farm operations, all located north of Fort McMurray, Alta.

Suncor's workers were among 8,000 pulled out of oil sands plants and work camps on Tuesday, when the massive wildfire that had previously destroyed parts of Fort McMurray turned toward them. They had only started to resume operations following precautionary industry shutdowns the week before that took more than a million barrels of oil a day off line.

Mr. Little did not say when he expects Suncor's nearly 600,000 barrels a day of oil production to resume. The company is also a co-owner of Syncrude Canada Ltd., which is shut as well. Last week, the Alberta government expanded its evacuation zone to include several oil sands facilities, largely for air quality reasons.

Suncor's announcement comes after Imperial Oil Ltd. said it was beginning "limited" operations at its Kearl oil sands project well to the north of Suncor's holdings.

Meanwhile, Mr. Little sought to explain the chaotic events of the past week, which culminated in a mass evacuation after the company had been confident that the fire threat had passed.

"There's no denying we faced some challenges," he said. "Rapidly changing weather and fire conditions prompted the safe shutdown of base plant and relocation of employees to the north. Adding to the frustration of people who may have been evacuated for a second time were the complexities of flight schedules and lodge logistics."