Imperial Readies Production from Oil Sands Expansion

Imperial Oil Ltd , Canada's No.2 integrated oil producer and refiner, said on Monday it has begun injecting steam at the 40,000 barrel per day Nabiye expansion of its Cold Lake oil sands project in northern Alberta and expects first oil from the project by the end of March.

 

Pius Rolheiser, a spokesman for the company, said the project's facilities were commissioned on schedule at the beginning of the month and steam injection, used to liquefy the tarry bitumen deposits so they can flow to the surface, has begun.

 

While the company, 69.6 percent owned by Exxon Mobil Corp , says first oil from the expansion project will come during the current quarter, it does not expect the expansion to reach full output until later in 2015.