Jointly owned by Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada, the Kearl Oil Sands Project is one of Canada’s largest open-pit mining operations, with regulatory approval for up to 345,000 barrels a day of bitumen production.

 

Kearl Initial Development - Utilidor, Hydrotransport & Tailings
 

Ledcor’s construction began in 2011 and included the four kilometers of above ground insulated modularized Utilidor for the purpose of carrying utility lines from the main plant site to the Ore Preparation Plant (OPP).  In support of this field insulation, Ledcor fabricated and assembled 312 utilidor modules. 

 

The foundations portion of the construction work scope included more than 2,000 lineal metres of sheet piles for an emergency dump pond on the tailings distribution system.

 

Kearl Tailings Distribution Extension Project - Tailings & Glandwater Pipelines
 

The Tailings Distribution Extension Project includes the construction of seven kilometers of above ground 30” carbon steel pipelines, carrying long pour and intermediate pour tailings from the Kearl Plant Site to multiple destination points around the External Tailings Area (ETA). Additionally, Ledcor fabricated 12 pumphouse and electrical modules at our Module Assembly & Pipe Fabrication Facility. 
 

Kearl Expansion Project - Hydrotransport, Buried Corridor Pipeline / Ore Prep Plant
 

The KEP Hydrotransport Pipelines are two 24”, 3.5 kilometer above ground carbon steel pipelines, carrying Hydrotransport slurry from the OPP to the Kearl Plant Site Extraction unit through the Hydrotransport Corridor.  

 

The Utilidor (Buried Corridor Pipeline) consists of 2.1 kilometers of mainly below ground 30” carbon steel pipe as well as a 6” carbon steel diesel line and 6” FRP Gland water line. The corridor runs from OPP to the Utilities area in the main plant site.  Additionally, Ledcor fabricated 30 modules at our Module Assembly & Pipe Fabrication Facility.

 

Overall, Ledcor’s scope of work for the Kearl Oilsands Project included:

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Kearl Oilsands Project reported zero Health, Safety & Environmental recordable incidents during 2012, resulting in a Total Recordable Incident Frequency of 0 for the year while expending over 1,500,000 manhours.