Firebag bitumen output reaches 120,000 b/d

Oct. 23, 2012
Suncor Energy says bitumen production from the first three phases of its Firebag in situ project in Alberta reached design capacity of 120,000 b/d at the end of year’s third quarter, during which steaming began of wells in the project’s fourth phase (OGJ Online, July 28, 2011).

Suncor Energy says bitumen production from the first three phases of its Firebag in situ project in Alberta reached design capacity of 120,000 b/d at the end of year’s third quarter, during which steaming began of wells in the project’s fourth phase (OGJ Online, July 28, 2011).

Third-quarter average production was 113,000 b/d at the Firebag complex, more than double the output during the comparable quarter of 2011.

Firebag, in the northern Athabasca oil sands region, produces via steam-assisted gravity drainage supplemented by infill wells to lower steam-oil ratios.

Suncor expects the fourth phase of production to begin by yearend. It expects total Firebag production to reach 180,000 b/d when the fourth phase reaches capacity.