
Suncor shares slip after fire interrupts Fort McMurray oil sands output
Two upgraders at the project are working at minimum rates to process strip-mined bitumen inventory.

Oil and gas spending estimates adjusted lower as uncertainties persist
$23.3 billion to be invested in Canada this year, down from about $37 billion in a January forecast.
Canadian oilpatch cutbacks to continue despite OPEC deal
Doesn’t match the reduction in demand caused by measures taken to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shipping bitumen: A semi-solid and greener alternative to liquified
Alberta innovators take some of the risk out of bitumen transport.

New tech moves oil sands bitumen in container to West Coast
BitCrude process uses an electrically powered diluent recovery unit to produce a product that’s non-flammable.

Experts say no government can bring back Alberta bitumen boom
Research suggests while renewables are still small, they play a big role in meeting new demand.
Alberta to partially backstop new $2B dollar bitumen upgrader
Would convert 77,000 barrels of diluted bitumen daily into medium synthetic crude and an ultra low sulphur diesel.
Impact of diluted bitumen on young sockeye salmon deadly: study
Almost 50% of the salmon exposed to the highest amount died during the first two months after they were moved to clean water.
Suncor cuts oil sands production guidance to reflect Syncrude outage
Revised output expected to be 422,500 barrels per day, down from 440,000 bpd.

Syncrude outage expected to ease pipeline congestion, boost heavy oil prices
Production of upgraded bitumen could remain offline at its works north of Fort McMurray through July.
Metals miner has developed oil sands partial upgrading technology
Sherritt’s process creates a lighter barrel of oil that will flow in a pipeline without being diluted.
Oil sands technology alliance aims for cuts in industry’s need for steam
It’s responsible for about 56 million tonnes per year of the total of 71 million tonnes of GHGs emitted.

Suncor says Syncrude maintenance turnaround planned for April to start early
Will help deal with an issue that is constraining capacity on a line that feeds bitumen from the mine to the upgrader.
Alberta to invest $1B in eight years on bitumen upgrading projects
Loan guarantees and grants to attract from two to five partial oil upgrading facilities and $5 billion of private investment.
Oil sands tech touted for boosted pipeline capacity years from deployment
As much as 30% more bitumen could be stuffed into existing pipelines if it is partially refined.