https://www.miningweekly.com

Suncor partially restarts Fort McMurray ops as Alberta wildfire grows to cover 579 946 ha

About 300 South African firefighters have arrived in Edmonton to assist combating the Alberta wildfires

About 300 South African firefighters have arrived in Edmonton to assist combating the Alberta wildfires

Photo by Air Canada

30th May 2016

By: Henry Lazenby

Creamer Media Deputy Editor: North America

  

Font size: - +

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Even as the Alberta wildfires continued to rage out of control, oil sands major Suncor Energy announced at the weekend that it had started a safe and staged restart in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), with initial production from its Firebag in situ facility starting early last week.

Start-up activities were also reported to be well under way at Base Plant and the MacKay River in situ facility and, subject to conditions in the region, Suncor expected initial production by the end of this week.

Suncor said it had moved more than 4 000 employees and contractors back into the region, including workers building the massive Fort Hills project. It expected to add about a further 3 500 workers this week to support its return to operations.

The company reported no damage to its assets, mainly attributable to all sites having enhanced fire mitigation and protection measures.

Critical third-party pipeline and power infrastructure required to support the start up had been restored. Services and accommodations for employees and contractors had been established following approval for occupation of its lodges from Alberta Health Services on Friday.

Suncor also stated that its majority-held Syncrude operation was also in the process of planning its return to operations.

INTENSIFYING THE FIREFIGHT
The Alberta government over the weekend reported that the wildfires, which had caused a supply disruption of about 1.5-million barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta, remained out of control and had grown to cover at least 579 946 ha, spreading across the provincial border to Saskatchewan province.

On Saturday, there were 14 active wildfires in Alberta, with one in Fort McMurray reportedly out of control.

There were about 2 292 firefighters, 90 helicopters, 273 pieces of heavy equipment and 20 air tankers currently battling the fires across Alberta, where three states of emergency had been declared in the affected communities.

Wildfire crews from across the world were supporting the firefight, including 298 firefighters from South Africa, 199 firefighters from the US, 113 firefighters from British Columbia, 84 firefighters from Ontario, 48 firefighters from the Northwest Territories, 29 firefighters from Parks Canada, one firefighter from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), seven firefighters from New Brunswick, 34 firefighters from Saskatchewan, two firefighters from Manitoba and 19 firefighters from Newfoundland/Prince Edward Island.

With higher humidity in the forecast and the potential for showers, it was expected that firefighting conditions would improve through the weekend.

SOUTH AFRICAN ASSISTANCE
An Air Canada flight chartered by the CIFFC on Sunday flew out of South Africa’s Oliver Tambo International Airport for the first time ever, carrying about 300 firefighters to help combat the Alberta wildfires.

The Boeing 777 was reported to have carried the largest number of wildland firefighters ever brought into Canada, who arrived in Edmonton in high spirits, singing and chanting.

“We are proud of our South African firefighters from our Working on Fire programme and we no doubt believe that they will do us proud to provide these essential services to Canada. We are immensely proud of the fact that the international firefighting community has recognised the skills and expertise within Working on Fire to provide essential integrated fire management services at an international level,” stated Working on Fire MD Llewellyn Pillay.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

Latest News

Magazine round up | 06 December 2024
Magazine round up | 06 December 2024
6th December 2024

Showroom

ESAB showroom image
ESAB South Africa

ESAB South Arica, the leading supplier of high-end welding and cutting products to the Southern African industrial market is based in...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd
VEGA Controls SA (Pty) Ltd

For over 60 years, VEGA has provided industry-leading products for the measurement of level, density, weight and pressure. As the inventor of the...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 06 December 2024
Magazine round up | 06 December 2024
6th December 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.056 0.083s - 142pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now