Skip to content

ConocoPhillips restarts Surmont oilsands production after wildfire shutdown

CALGARY -- ConocoPhillips Canada says it has restarted production at the Surmont oilsands facility after the site was shut down because of the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta.

CALGARY -- ConocoPhillips Canada says it has restarted production at the Surmont oilsands facility after the site was shut down because of the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta.

The company says there was minor damage to the Surmont infrastructure because of the fire, with no impact on ongoing operations.

It expects to gradually ramp up production back to pre-shutdown levels of roughly 60,000 barrels a day and have the majority of its 700 workers back on-site by the end of the week.

ConocoPhillips is the operator and 50 per cent owner of the Surmont oilsands project, with Total E&P Canada Ltd. controlling the other 50 per cent.

The news comes a day after Suncor Inc. said it expects its oilsands operations in Fort McMurray to be back at full production by the end of this month.

Suncor also said the Syncrude Canada Ltd. oilsands operation should return to production starting in late June with a full ramp-up of production by mid-July.