After wildfires, Fort McMurray hit with wasp swarms and floooding

Flooding in Fort McMurray. A local state of emergency and a boil water order have been declared in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, including the city of Fort McMurray. (Twitter, @MAviation) | Twitter, MAviation

Fort McMurray, still recovering from wildfire, dealing with flooding

Province of Alberta warns residents of falling trees due to heavy rain

By Mack Lamoureux, Wallis Snowdon, CBC News, June 9, 2016

A downpour flooded streets in several neighbourhoods across Fort McMurray, the northern Alberta community where residents have only recently begun returning to their homes weeks after being forced out by wildfire. 

Fort McMurray fire destroys oilsands camp, forces evacuation of thousands of workers as blaze continues to grow

This photo of Blacksand Executive Lodge was taken by a CBC News contact around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. (Name withheld by request)

by Geoffrey Morgan, Financial Post, May 17, 2016

CALGARY – The out-of-control wildfires in northern Alberta have forced a new wave of evacuations, by ground and by air, and delayed plans to restart oilsands productions at some projects, dealing another setback to the already hard-hit sector.

Suncor Energy Inc. spokesperson Sneh Seetal confirmed the company had begun airlifting employees to safety Tuesday after the fire had changed course Monday night, moved northward and forced the evacuation of its facilities and surrounding camps.

Fort McMurray fires shut down even more oilsands facilities, knock one million barrels offline

A wildfire moves towards the town of Anzac from Fort McMurray, Alberta., on Wednesday May 4, 2016 (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP).

Claudia Cattaneo and Geoffrey Morgan, Financial Post, May 5, 2016

CALGARY — More oilsands companies have been forced to reduce or shut down production as the raging wildfire that started near Fort McMurray spreads south to new producing areas.

Meanwhile, oil companies poured their resources into the firefighting effort — from sheltering evacuees to helping with medical emergencies.

Suncor Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd. and Athabasca Oil Corp. all announced production reductions or shut-downs late in the day Thursday in response to the growing fire, which is now estimated to have pushed more than 1 million barrels — close to 40 per cent — of oilsands production offline.

Major oil sands producers scale back output as Fort McMurray wildfire rages

Still from a Youtube video showing the scene as residents flee Fort McMurray, May 4, 2016.

Jeff Lewis and Shawn McCarthy, The Globe and Mail, May 04, 2016

Major oil sands operators evacuated staff and curtailed production indefinitely as Fort McMurray burned, forcing the industry into emergency mode amid one of the worst disasters in Alberta’s history.

Wildfires raging in the Northern Alberta city prompted some of the biggest companies to abruptly shut nearby facilities or scale back production, while all but essential personnel were hastily moved to safety.

Fort McMurray fire: 1,600 properties destroyed, flareups expected

What is left of the community of Beacon Hill, Alta., is seen after wildfires devastated the area on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. (Chad Kruger / CTV News)

CTV News, May 4, 2016

More than 1,600 homes and buildings have been destroyed by raging wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., and officials say they expect the fires to flare up again later this afternoon.

Temperatures in the northern Alberta town are expected to hit an unseasonably hot 30 degrees Celsius Wednesday afternoon, with no precipitation in the forecast.

When the winds pick up this afternoon, Chad Morrison, a senior manager with Alberta Wildfire Prevention & Enforcement says the fire will likely become unpredictable and difficult to control.

Oilsands work camps fill with fire evacuees

Fire and smoke loom over a Fort McMurray neighborhood on May 3, 2016. Mindy Francis/Facebook.

Canadian Press, May 3, 2016

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Oilsands work camps were being pressed into service Tuesday to house evacuees as a raging wildfire emptied the city of Fort McMurray.

“We’ve made our work camp available to staff and their families who have been evacuated and need a place to stay,” said Cameron Yost of Shell Canada.

“We are looking at getting non-essential people out by aircraft,” said Yost, who added Shell’s camp could accommodate hundreds of evacuees.

Alberta failing aboriginals in the oilsands area: unreleased report

Tar Sands factory complex in Alberta.

‘What Alberta said it would do and what it actually did are very different things,’ report says

By Bob Weber, The Canadian Press, Feb 2, 2016

The Alberta government’s attempt to balance competing interests in the oilsands region has failed to protect aboriginal
rights, lands and health from industrial development, says an unreleased report.

Instead, the document concludes the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, which came into force in 2012, has been used by both industry and government to erode traditional land use in favour of economic interests.

Oilsands plant explosion near Fort McMurray leaves 1 dead, another critical

Nexen Energy’s Long Lake facility at Alberta’s tar sands. Photo: CBC News.

Person in critical condition flown to University of Alberta burn centre

CBC News,  Jan 15, 2016

One person is dead and another is in critical condition in hospital after an explosion Friday afternoon at Alberta’s Nexen Long Lake facility, Wood Buffalo RCMP say.

The person in critical condition was flown by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo LifeFlight helicopter to the University of Alberta’s burn centre.

A coker exploded at the plant located near Fort McMurray around 4:30 p.m., said Staff Sgt. Jeremie Landry.

Keystone XL cancellation means more oil-by-rail terminals for the Pacific Northwest

Photo by Harvey Henkelmann courtesy Wiki Commons.

Report says new rail terminals will be built in the Pacific Northwest to transport Alberta oil.

by Charles Mandel, Vancouver Observer, Nov 13th, 2015

In the wake of the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, the oil industry will look toward opening new rail terminals in the Pacific Northwest, contends a new report.

Keystone XL may be dead. The oilsands probably aren’t

Low petroleum prices mean new projects are on pause, but existing production won’t disappear

By Tracy Johnson, CBC News, Nov 11, 2015

There is some soul searching going on in the oilpatch this week in the aftermath of the U.S. rejection of Keystone XL. Would a carbon tax have changed things? A gentler hand with the politics? How much of the U.S. decision was connected to increases in their own domestic production?

What they aren’t asking is how to get oilsands product to market. Because it’s getting there, in ways both obvious and unexpected. The oilsands have lots of problems, like low prices and high costs. But right now, market access is pretty far down the list.