- A shutdown of Suncor Energy's (NYSE:SU) MacKay River oil sands facility near Fort McMurray, Alberta, is being prolonged by an Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) pipeline connected to the facility has clogged after heavy oil cooled in the system, Reuters reports.
- The pipeline clogged after last month's Alberta wildfire forced oil sands producers to shut facilities, including thermal projects that require ongoing heat to operate effectively.
- It is not yet clear how long repairs would take, but the extended shutdown is a setback for SU, which last week cut its full-year production guidance but said it expected all its operations in the area to be at normal rates by the end of June.
- Separately, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) says 73% of wells at its Surmont oil sands project in Alberta are back in production or injecting steam, with no unexpected complications affecting the effort, after being shut down due to the fires.