Total’s oil sands plans face slowdown

France’s Total may have struck some potholes on its way to a goal of producing 500,000 barrels per day from the Alberta oil sands.

Enerplus Resources Fund, its 15 percent partner in the Joslyn project, which Total took control of last year from Deer Creek Energy, reported that the frenzied pace of activity in the oil sands region could cause delays in the construction schedule.

It said the “current industry pressures from a significant number of competing projects could impact project timing.”

The partners filed a regulatory application in February for a 100,000 bpd mining project, targeting an in-service date of 2011.

—Gary Park