Much of this expansion is focused on increasing upgrading capacity and improving product quality to produce 350,000 barrels per day of Syncrude Sweet Premium (SSP) crude oil, an increase in production of 45 per cent from current levels. SSP will be a lighter, sweeter premium crude oil with markedly lower sulphur and nitrogen content. This improvement in product quality reflects Syncrude’s owners’ ongoing consultation with their customers, and will help North American refiners meet stringent environmental requirements.
Syncrude has additional opportunities to grow beyond Stage 3. Total recoverable resources are sufficient for Syncrude to increase production to as much as 500,000 barrels per day on a sustained basis for decades to come. Development of these projects will be contingent on meeting strict economic, capital cost, operating cost and environmental performance criteria.
Syncrude to date has produced more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil from its oil sands leases. Syncrude aims to remain at the forefront of oil sands research and profitable sustainable resource development. Ongoing investment in physical and human resources, industry-leading reclamation practices, environmentally friendly technologies and energy conservation initiatives will place Syncrude at the forefront as a major contributor to social and economic development in Alberta and Canada for decades to come.