Syncrude's Mildred Lake plant due FGD unit

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 8 -- Syncrude Canada Ltd. has let a $40 million contract to Washington Group International Inc. to perform detailed engineering and procurement services for an emissions reduction project at its synthetic crude oil production site in Mildred Lake, Alta.

Washington Group will retrofit a flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system into the operation of the two existing fluid cokers. This work is separate from the FGD unit that was recently shut down due to residents' complaints of odorous emissions believed to be associated with the start up of the unit. Those repairs could take 1-2 months (OGJ Online, June 2, 2006).

Washington Group had provided conceptual engineering, preliminary engineering, and procurement, and preconstruction planning services for the emissions reduction project, expected to remove more than half of the total sulfur dioxide emissions from the currently approved level of 245 tonnes/ day. Other emissions, such as particulate matter and heavy metals, are also expected to be reduced.