Big changes in Alberta's oilsands

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DA900
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Big changes in Alberta's oilsands

Post by DA900 »

Looks like Suncor has some new aircraft coming

Suncor building private airstrip for workers

Suncor Energy Inc., the world's second-largest oilsands producer, and its partners Synenco Energy Ltd. and Husky Energy Inc. are building a private airstrip in Alberta for easier transport of workers to remote camps.

The airport, designed to simultaneously handle the loading and unloading of two Boeing Co. 737-800 jets, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, Synenco said in a statement. Costs for the airport, which includes a 6,900-foot runway, terminal and maintenance building, aren't being disclosed, Synenco spokesman Scott Ranson said. Suncor will be the operator.

"We were looking for something that would be both effective and cost efficient for a commuting solution," Ranson said in a telephone interview.


Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. put in a landing strip for workers building its $7.62 billion Horizon oil-sands project.

Synenco, which just announced its partnership in the airport today, is developing a mine about 100 kilometres north of the oilsands hub of Fort McMurray, and will pay a "relatively modest price" to join, Ranson said.

Flying workers in and out of its site may help Synenco attract and retain workers, Ranson said. The airport is located about 30 kilometres from Synenco's proposed mine, he said.

"By developing this infrastructure and driving less, we have a better solution for the people who will help us build our project and ultimately operate it," he said. Synenco owns 60 per cent of the proposed $10.7 billion Northern Lights project, which forecasts employing as many as 2,150 construction workers. A unit of China Petrochemical Corp. owns the remainder of the development, which also includes a processing plant to turn heavy oil extracted from oilsands into refinery-ready crude.

Work on the airport started earlier this year, Suncor spokesman Brad Bellows said in a telephone interview. It's the first landing strip in Alberta's Athabasca River region shared by companies with separate oilsands projects, he said.

The new airport will eliminate about a two-hour drive over paved and gravel roads to Suncor's Firebag oilsands project, Bellows said.
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Goose757
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Post by Goose757 »

Wow. Two 738's? Thats a lot of passenger capacity. I would imagine they'd be flying people in from Edmonton and Calgary, but kinda makes you wonder if the airport will be equipped for IFR approaches. Syncrude's strip isn't but I have a feeling Suncor will spend the extra money for it. Sounds like its quite a hike from YMM to their new mine sites.
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W5
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Post by W5 »

As they are taking CNRL's Horizon project as an example, they probably have somebody like Canadian North doing charters (weekly?) to the rest of the country to fly workers in and out.
Of course it would be open for bids.
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Legacy
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Post by Legacy »

well not too many 800 operators in canada if that is the plane they will be using. good news for either WJ or sunwing!
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W5
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Post by W5 »

Anybody can buy/(sub)lease the things.
Besides saying that it is designed to handle up to two -800's does not mean that THAT will be the type.
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Schlem
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Post by Schlem »

I agree and think they are refering to pax capacity.
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Goose757
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Post by Goose757 »

Apparently the airport will be equipped with IFR approaches
The aerodrome is scheduled to be operational by the end of the 2007
calendar year. It will feature a lighted runway 6,900 feet in length with
instrument landing capability
, a terminal building, and a maintenance and
emergency services building. The facility has been designed to simultaneously
accommodate the loading and unloading of two 737-800 aircraft.
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/A ... c9764.html
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ahramin
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Post by ahramin »

I would think the instrument landing capability would be an RNP approach.
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privateer
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Post by privateer »

It wouldn't take much to put in a GPS approach and LWIS or AWOS. I'm sure it would eventually handle other operators. But I wonder if they ment they were leasing from the "Boeing Co." the 738's
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Legacy
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Post by Legacy »

W5 wrote:Anybody can buy/(sub)lease the things.
Besides saying that it is designed to handle up to two -800's does not mean that THAT will be the type.
Man people dont read FULLY what people type in here. i SAID IF (read IF) that is the type they are going to use. i am sure nobody is going to lease an 800 to do 2 hrs of flying a day.
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W5
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Post by W5 »

IF they are using CNRL's example , it is going to be a lot more than 2hrs. a day. Besides, whomever leases the a/c (of whatever type) could use it for other purposes.

Plus it would not necessarily have to be good news for WestJet or Sunwing (although it could be), because several operators (incl Suncor themselves) could lease/buy an a/c for the job.. That's what I was commenting on.
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Legacy
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Post by Legacy »

W5 wrote:IF they are using CNRL's example , it is going to be a lot more than 2hrs. a day. Besides, whomever leases the a/c (of whatever type) could use it for other purposes.

Plus it would not necessarily have to be good news for WestJet or Sunwing (although it could be), because several operators (incl Suncor themselves) could lease/buy an a/c for the job.. That's what I was commenting on.
true
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Post by invertedattitude »

CanJet to fly 737NG's in oil sands contract


You heard it here second or third :lol:
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g5
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Post by g5 »

Talk about rape of the planet and Canada's natural resources, that place is out of control. Looks like the pipelines in Iraq and Afghantistan are behind schedule.
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mighty mouse
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Post by mighty mouse »

It's Kelowna Flightcraft operating as Flair Airlines, using a 737-800 in partnership with Excel (from the UK). They will fly in the UK for six months, then do sun destinations from Canada as well as crew transfers with the 800 (and ocational 727).

Flair Airlines is the work-around of the unionized Flightcraft pilots.
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DA900
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Post by DA900 »

g5 wrote:Talk about rape of the planet and Canada's natural resources, that place is out of control. Looks like the pipelines in Iraq and Afghantistan are behind schedule.

swede is that you? :smt017
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redbull
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Post by redbull »

suncor will probably buy there own 737 if they go that way. They make enough profit on one shift to pay for a 737, cost is not an issue with these companies. suncor, shell, syncrude, etc.

big oil does not look at an airplane as a big investment, just a small drop in the bucket.

I heard they are putting in approaches at the suncor and the shell strips

a busy place is going to get even busier.
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twinpratts
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Post by twinpratts »

Didn't Dome have a '37 at one point?
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I want to die like my grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming in terror like his passengers...
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