The Athabasca Oilsands Project, Upstream Expansion (AOSP) is part of the Albian Sands Energy Inc. expansion of an open pit extraction and bitumen processing facility north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Ledcor has worked on this site continuously since 2006 and enjoys a long-standing relationship with Shell Canada.

Ledcor’s scope of work included:

  • Surface drainage and water containment
  • Muskeg removal
  • Grading of extractions, tailings, and tank farm areas
  • Aggregate processing
  • Construction of access roads and haul roads
  • Installation of underground utilities
  • Piling
  • Concrete foundations
  • Structural steel erection
  • Above-grade and below-grade piping
  • Electrical and instrumentation
  • Equipment setting
  • Fabrication and assembly of 52 modules including 168,000 diameter inches of offsite piping fabrication 
  • Commissioning and start-up assistance

In June 2010, Ledcor completed crushing and conveying, utilities, and offsite work. Ledcor then moved on to complete the froth treatment and extraction and tailings areas. The froth treatment, which produces 100,000 barrels of oil per day at full capacity, was completed in late 2010, with the extraction and tailing area completed in early 2011. 

Additionally, Ledcor completed a large piling project that installed more than 3,000 H-piles for pipe racks and tank foundations. Ledcor used one 100-ton link belt crane and four 80-ton Lima cranes with D30 to D50 delmag diesel hammers.

Ledcor’s current work at the site includes heavy civil activities such as mine site preparation, tailings pond remediation, tailings dam and dyke construction, drill pad construction, and reclamation. We also provided pipeline construction for debottlenecking and expansion, as well as underground utility installation. Finally, we provided extensive maintenance related to pipes and pipelines, paving, and roads.

Ledcor has also completed the installation of eight permanent casings for Shell Albian Sands’ new Tailings Consolidation Experimental Facility. This facility monitors the settlement of fine tailings after various treatments.

Each new casing measures 13m (42ft) deep and 3m (9ft) in diameter. In order to maintain the holes’ integrity and ensure there was no water ingress, each location also required a 3.2m (10.4ft) diameter temporary casing be installed to 8m (26ft).

Project Highlights

 Ledcor is very proud of the safety record for this project that saw 2,300 people onsite at the peak of activity. 

 2010 – One year recordable incident free achievement on the Albian Commissioning & Start-up project.

2010 – Shell awarded Ledcor the Goal Zero Award for reaching 365 days without a medical aid.