Shell-led oil sands project strikes early hiccup

Alberta’s third full-scale synthetic crude operation hit by fire and explosions in first week of start-up process, but partners confident of rebounding and happy with technology

Gary Park

PNA Canadian Correspondent

Shell Canada Ltd. and its minority partners had a baptism of fire in embarking on the production phase of a new oil sands venture in Alberta. Within a week of extracting its first bitumen from a 5-billion-barrel reserve, the Athabasca Oil Sands Project was idled by an early-morning fire and “minor”....

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Mishaps not unknown

Budget overruns common

Next phase already in works