(Calgary) An out-of-control wildfire in northern Alberta prompted Suncor Energy on Thursday to evacuate all non-essential workers from its Firebag oilsands site.
The company, which is Canada’s second-largest oil sands producer by volume, confirmed Thursday that it was “shifting to essential personnel only on site.”
A Suncor spokeswoman said the move was a precautionary measure, but added the situation was being monitored and further action would be taken if necessary.
Suncor said its other oil sands operations were not at risk.
On Thursday afternoon, a wildfire spanning more than 21 square kilometres was burning out of control about 70 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray, Alta.
The Alberta government said the fire is about eight kilometres northeast of Suncor’s main Firebag plant, 14 kilometres northeast of Suncor’s Firebag airfield and 16 kilometres east of Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands facility.
Imperial Oil said Thursday that its operations were not affected, although the company continues to monitor the situation closely.
Suncor’s Firebag oil sands site is the company’s largest in situ operation. In oil sands terminology, in situ means using steam to heat and release subsurface bitumen that lies too deep underground to be accessed by surface mining.
The facility produces up to 215,000 barrels of oil per day and employs a workforce from across the country.
The company’s website says there are typically about 400 people on site each day.
In May 2016, the massive wildfire that destroyed parts of the community of Fort McMurray also threatened major oil sands production facilities and forced the evacuation of thousands of workers. At the height of the crisis, more than a million barrels of Canadian oil production per day were shut down.
Firebag gets its name from the leather bag used by indigenous people to carry hot coals to start a fire.