Imperial Oil Ltd., Calgary, reported a precautionary shutdown of its Kearl oil sands operations in Alberta due to a “vibration issue” with the plant’s ore-crusher unit.
Replacement parts are being installed, the company said, and production is expected to resume “in the next several weeks.”
Kearl began bitumen production in April 2013 (OGJ Online, Apr. 29, 2013). Production from Kearl averaged 78,000 b/d in this year’s third quarter. Excluding the impact of a planned 14-day turnaround in late September, average production was 92,000 b/d.