Oil operations restart following northern Alberta wildfire

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Oil companies are restarting operations in the region around Fort McMurray, Alberta, following a huge wildfire last month that forced many sites to evacuate as a precaution. At its height, the shutdown at major oil sites cut daily production by more than 1 million barrels, officials said. At least 400,000 barrels per day production is still offline although in reality that number is likely far higher as many producers are still in the process of ramping back up to normal rates. In addition, Suncor Energy's base plant and the Syncrude project still need to finish maintenance turnarounds interrupted by the fire. In the last few days Imperial Oil Ltd said it has returned to normal operations at its Kearl mine, ConocoPhillips restarted production at its Surmont project and Suncor said its operations would return to normal rates by the end of June. The following is a list of what oil producers and pipeline companies have said about nearby operations: Operator Asset Status Size of cut Total capacity Date Link to story Athabasca Oil Hangingstone Resumed 12,000 bpd 12,000 bpd by Q4 24-May Corp project operations 2016 Suncor Energy Base plant mine Operations 350,000 bpd 350,000 bpd at 06-June Inc and upgrader, restarted, at base base plant. Was MacKay River and return to normal plant. Other operating at Firebag thermal production sites reduced rate oil sands expected by unspecified before closure end-June because of maintenance Connacher Oil Great Divide Output cut 6,000 bpd 14,000 bpd in Q4 5-May and Gas Ltd 2015 Syncrude, Aurora bitumen Expects to 315,000 bpd 315,000 bpd. Was 6-June majority-owned mine, Mildred return to full operating at by Suncor Lake upgrader production by reduced rate mid-July before fire because of maintenance ConocoPhillips Surmount Re-started 30,000 bpd 30,000 bpd 07-June production, will gradually ramp up to pre-fire capacity Shell Muskeg River and Restarted at 255,000 bpd 255,000 bpd 17-May Jackpine unspecified reduced rate Statoil Leismer facility Now producing 20,000 bpd 20,000 bpd 01-June 20,000 bpd Imperial Oil Kearl operation Back to normal Unspecified 196,000 bpd in Q1 03-June production 2016 Husky Energy Sunrise Restarting 30,000 bpd 30,000 bpd 01-June production Nexen Long Lake Work camps 50,000 bpd 50,000 bpd. Was 24-May reopening operating at reduced rate before closure because of an explosion on site in January Canadian Horizon Operations Unspecified 17-May Natural stable Resources Ltd (Reporting by Barani Krishnan in New York, Ethan Lou, Euan Rocha and Jeffrey Hodgson in Toronto, Nia Williams and Eric M. Johnson in Calgary; Compiled by David Gaffen and Josephine Mason; Editing by Chris Reese and James Dalgleish)