1 of 4 | Aerial view of the wildfires in the Fort McMurray area from a CH-146 Griffon on May 4, 2016. The Canadian Armed Forces have deployed air assets to the area to support the Province of Alberta's emergency response efforts. At the time this image was taken, a mandatory evacuation had been placed on all of Fort McMurray - the largest evacuation on record in Canada. The fire had burned through nearly 77 square kilometers, razing neighborhoods across the city. Photo by MCpl VanPutten/Canadian Armed Forces/UPI |
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EDMONTON, Alberta, May 6 (UPI) -- Oil operations at the heart of Canadian production centers are shut down as a result of wildfires raging through Alberta, energy companies said.
Canadian energy company Suncor, which operates one of the largest production facilities in the country, said it shut down operations at its base plant in Fort McMurray. The facility was already operating at a reduced rate of around 300,000 barrels of oil per day while undergoing routine seasonal maintenance.
Roughly 80,000 people were evacuated from the municipality of Wood Buffalo because of the fires. Canadian pipeline company Enbridge said it shut down some of its facilities and is curbing operations or cutting deliveries from its area pipelines as a result.
"Enbridge will not provide details on volumes or laterals, as it is private customer information," the company said in a statement emailed to UPI.
Alberta sits on some of the largest oil deposits outside of the Middle East. Nexen, which operates the massive Long Lake facility in the region, said its shutdown was completed Wednesday and all personnel were evacuated from the site.
A state of emergency is in effect for Wood Buffalo and surrounding areas are under evacuation orders. The provincial government said the fire conditions in and around the area "remain extreme." There are nearly 50 wildfires burning in the area, with about half of those considered under control.
"Public safety remains the key priority as the wildfire in Fort McMurray continues to burn," the provincial government said in a statement.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said it's too early to speculate on when evacuees will be able to return. It won't, she said, be a matter of days.
Fires erupted less than a week after the provincial government rolled out a new multi-million plan for shovel-ready projects meant to stimulate the economy in Fort McMurray. Representatives from the Oil Sands Community Alliance said a transportation spending plan was critical for regional development.
Crude oil prices spiked more than 4 percent in Thursday trading in response to the fires in Alberta, though have since reversed course.
