The in situ Oil sands projects in the Athabasca area are smaller than their mining counterparts. In 2004, Suncor began operations at its Firebag project, which utilizes a relatively new in situ technology called steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). Firebag had a production capacity of 35,000 bbl/d in 2005. Other SAGD projects include Petro-Canada’s MacKay River (30,000 bbl/d) and Dover (1,400 bbl/d); EnCana’s Foster Creek (40,000 bbl/d), and Christina Lake (10,000 bbl/d); and Nexen’s Athabasca (1,300 bbl/d) and Long Lake (2,500 bbl/d). Petro-Canada’s Dover facility also contains a demonstration project of a new in situ technology called vapor extraction (VAPEX). VAPEX utilizes solvents, such as Butane, to extract raw bitumen, rather than steam, which could allow significant cost savings for in situ operators.

The Athabasca deposit is also the focus of most planned expansions of the oil sands industry. Major projects scheduled for start-up in 2006-2007 include ConocoPhillips’ Surmount (25,000 bbl/d) and Total’s Joslyn (10,000 bbl/d). Petro-Canada plans to bring 50,000 bb/d of mining capacity online by 2009 at its Fort Hills oil sands project In February 2005, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) decided to pursue its $11 billion Horizon project, which could produce 212,000 bbl/d by 2012.

Outside of the Athabasca deposit, the largest oil sands project is Imperial Oil’s Cold Lake in situ facility, with a capacity of 140,000 bbl/d. Also in the Cold Lake area, CNRL operates Primrose (50,000 bbl/d), while Husky plans to bring its 30,000-bbl/d Tucker project online in 2006. In the Peace River deposit, Shell Canada operates Cadotte Lake (11,000 bbl/d).