Suncor Energy's Firebag 3 plant generates work

Lockerbie & Hole Industrial, a division of Aecon Lockerbie Industrial, last fall was awarded a contract to complete field construction on Suncor Energy’s Firebag 3 plant in the oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alta.

FOCUS | Fort McMurray

Lockerbie & Hole Industrial, a division of Aecon Lockerbie Industrial, last fall was awarded a contract to complete field construction on Suncor Energy’s Firebag 3 plant in the oilsands near Fort McMurray, Alta.

“This contract is one of the largest in the history of the industrial group, and signifies for us that work in the oilsands is beginning to ramp-up once again,” said Paul Koenderman, Aecon’s executive vice president.

Aecon didn’t disclose the size of the contract, but said the project will have a maximum workforce of 600 and includes certain lump sum elements like the completion of piping, electrical and insulation work.

The work is scheduled to start in January 2010 and is expected to wrap up by the end of the third quarter in 2010.

Flint Energy Services Ltd. was awarded contracts for module fabrication, which is currently underway and will be completed in the first quarter of 2010.

“As a supplier of choice for Suncor, we are very pleased to see Suncor resume developing its oilsands assets, restarting delayed work and commencing additional project spending,” said Bill Lingard, president and CEO of Flint.

The fabrication work will be completed by Flint at its modular fabrication facilities in Sherwood Park, Alberta, and will employ up to 385 workers.

Suncor Energy also awarded a $74.4 million lump sum contract for construction services to Cord WorleyParsons Ltd., the construction division of WorleyParsons Canada Ltd.

The scope of work is for well pads and gathering lines associated with steam assisted gravity drainage for the facility.

John Grill, CEO of WorleyParsons, also believes this new contract is a positive indicator of confidence returning to the oilsands energy sector.

This new contract is for the final stage of the Firebag 3 well pads and gathering lines project, which WorleyParsons started as an engineering, procurement, construction management services contract in 2006.

Engineering is complete and Cord is fabricating the associated modules under a separate contract.

It should be complete in the fourth quarter of 2010.

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