Project description
At a June 2003 Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) conference, investors were told that Kearl would be operational in 2012.[11]
In 2006, the initial phase began with Kiewit Corporation contracted to begin site development.[12]
The development was an open-pit mining operation, developed in three stages. The first phase was completed mid-2013.[15][16]
It used a froth treatment technology, producing blended bitumen which was transported to the Edmonton area by Enbridge's pipeline system.[16][17] Diluent was provided from Edmonton through the Inter Pipeline-owned 454 km long, 12 in diameter pipeline supplying the Athabasca Oil Sands Project. The Kearl oil sands facilities would be connected with this pipeline by a 50 km long new branch.[18]
At the first stage an engineering, procurement, and construction management contract was awarded to AMEC while Fluor Corp. was responsible for the development of infrastructure and facilities.[15][1][19]
The development is located on two oil-sands leases.[20]
Imperial holds 100 percent of the mining rights on Leases 6 and 87. Areas deemed suitable for surface mining are primarily in the western part of Lease 6 and the northwestern part of Lease 87 (Imperial Oil, ExxonMobil 2009–07). Lease 36 and 31A, in which ExxonMobil Canada holds 100% of the mining rights.
In January 2013, Alberta Federation of Labour president, Gil McGowan, raised concerns that the decision to pipe diluted bitumen south for upgrading instead of including an upgrader as had been announced previously, would result in fewer jobs in Alberta at a time when unemployment had increased in the province. The oil sands was negatively affected, with the number of people applying for employment insurance (EI) in Fort McMurray tripling in a 12-month period.[21] Imperial Oil responded that they would be creating 100s of long-term, and thousands of short-term jobs with an eventual 1,000 people in the permanent workforce.[21]
In 2017, Imperial Oil reported Kearl averaging 178000 oilbbl/d, and Imperial Oil and Exxon began a three-year CA$560 million project to boost production by adding additional "crushing capacity and flow distribution".[22]
