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Total E&P Canada Ltd receives approval for its 295,000 barrel-per-day oil sands Upgrader in the Alberta Industrial Heartland Calgary, 17 September, 2010 - Total E&P Canada Ltd., a Total SA subsidiary,received confirmation that the Energy Resources Conservation Board has issued a favourable decision to the Alberta Government to approve the construction of an oil sands Upgrader in the Alberta Industrial Heartland area of Strathcona County. At full operation developed over three phases, the Upgrader will have capacity for 295,000 barrels of bitumen per day. “This approval is a very positive result for Total in Canada,” said Jean-Michel Gires, President and CEO of Total E&P Canada Ltd. “This represents another tangible step for us in building a long-term, sustainable position in the Athabasca oil sands.” The ERCB included seven conditions that must be fulfilled by Total E&P Canada, along with confirmation of other commitments made to the community during the Upgrader Public Hearing in June, 2010. “We are pleased with the ERCB’s decision and we appreciate that we were able to present our project to the public,” said Gary Houston, Vice President of Midstream and Chair of the Total Upgrader Hearing Panel. “Total worked closely with the local community throughout this process. We would like to thank the residents for their participation and collaboration over the past four years, as well as for their support of the project.” Total will be reviewing the decision internally and developing a plan for next steps in due course. The Total Upgrader in the Alberta Industrial Heartland will use feedstock from Total’s key assets in Canada’s oil sands. Total Exploration and Production in Canada Total operates the Joslyn project with a 75% interest. Production potential of this mining project is currently estimated at 100,000 barrels per day. Total also owns a 50% interest in the Surmont SAGD1 project. Phase 1 production began in 2007 and currently averages 20,000 barrels per day. Plateau production is expected to be 27,000 barrels per day. Phase 2 began recently, with production scheduled to start up in 2015, enabling Surmont’s total production to increase to around 110,000 barrels per day. Further development phases are under study. Total also has a 50% interest in the Northern Lights Project following the 2008 acquisition of Canada’s Synenco Energy. In July 2010, Total entered into a Plan of Arrangement to acquire UTS which holds a 20 per cent interest in the Fort Hills Project. |
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