selected item
Operations
Cold Lake
One word describes why our Cold Lake operation exists today and is the longest running oil sands operation in Northeastern Alberta. Innovation.
Covering 780 square kilometres (about 300 square miles), Cold Lake is one of the largest thermal in situ operations in the world and supplies our Strathcona Refinery and refineries across Canada and the United States, so they can create the fuel, asphalt and products that keep life running.
What does thermal in situ mean? It means the bitumen here is too deep to be extracted by mining and we use heat to bring oil to the surface. It also means that oil here is produced with a land footprint similar to conventional oil.
Covering 780 square kilometres (about 300 square miles), Cold Lake is one of the largest thermal in situ operations in the world and supplies our Strathcona Refinery and refineries across Canada and the United States, so they can create the fuel, asphalt and products that keep life running.
What does thermal in situ mean? It means the bitumen here is too deep to be extracted by mining and we use heat to bring oil to the surface. It also means that oil here is produced with a land footprint similar to conventional oil.
Our environment. Our innovation.
They thought it couldn’t be done in the ‘60s. The oil was too deep to extract and in situ technology didn’t exist when we purchased the Cold Lake leases more than five decades ago. But we believed in the power of innovation. Today, after 45+ years of continuous production, Cold Lake continues to defy oil sands industry norms and produce more with less impact to the environment.
It all started with Cyclic Steam Stimulation, which we still use today. That’s a fancy way of saying we use steam to extract bitumen from 400 metres under the ground using a vertical well.
But we weren’t done innovating. In 2001, we invented LASER which reduced the use of steam. Less steam means less use of water, and less energy to heat the water we do use. This reduces our greenhouse gas intensity. We currently use LASER at 240 wells at Cold Lake.
We are also testing next-generation technologies here that reduce our water and energy use even more.
It all started with Cyclic Steam Stimulation, which we still use today. That’s a fancy way of saying we use steam to extract bitumen from 400 metres under the ground using a vertical well.
But we weren’t done innovating. In 2001, we invented LASER which reduced the use of steam. Less steam means less use of water, and less energy to heat the water we do use. This reduces our greenhouse gas intensity. We currently use LASER at 240 wells at Cold Lake.
We are also testing next-generation technologies here that reduce our water and energy use even more.
1.1 M tonnes
GHG emissions avoided thanks to cogeneration out of all our Alberta facilities, including Cold Lake. Approximately the equivalent of 232,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year or approximately 2,700 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.
180 megawatts
of power generation capacity produced through cogeneration at our Mahkeses and Nabiye sites since 2012 and 2015, respectively
165 megawatts
exported back to the Alberta grid in 2017
Clean air. Less emissions.
It’s not just in how we produce oil. Clean air relies on how we power our facilities and monitor our emissions.
Cogeneration: We generate more power than we need. So why not export that power back to the grid with two energy-saving cogeneration facilities which produce steam and electricity from the same fuel.
Air quality monitoring: we partner with Lakeland Industry and Community Association to monitor man-made and natural emissions in the air with four monitoring stations that provide up-to-the-minute measurements.
Cogeneration: We generate more power than we need. So why not export that power back to the grid with two energy-saving cogeneration facilities which produce steam and electricity from the same fuel.
Air quality monitoring: we partner with Lakeland Industry and Community Association to monitor man-made and natural emissions in the air with four monitoring stations that provide up-to-the-minute measurements.
Less water everyday
Our technology has allowed us to reduce fresh water use intensity by 90 percent since the start of our operations. When we do use water, 95 percent of it is recycled water from the oil well or taken from deep underground.
This is how we reduce water today, but it only gets better from here. Our CSP technology, which will be used to extract oil out of certain reservoirs, requires almost no water at all.
This is how we reduce water today, but it only gets better from here. Our CSP technology, which will be used to extract oil out of certain reservoirs, requires almost no water at all.
Reclaiming the land. Protecting wildlife.
We don’t just sprinkle a bag of grass seed over the site and call it a day. It’s about thoughtfully and progressively reclaiming the land we disturb with native trees and shrubs that are traditional to Indigenous culture and medicine.
That requires forethought and collaboration. We tap into the wisdom of Indigenous people who show us how everything in nature works together. We partner with other industry experts in our vegetation cooperative to collect native plant seeds in the area to be used in progressive reclamation projects.
Bears, foxes, owls are not an uncommon sight for our employees and contractors. We use critter cards to track and monitor wildlife on our sites and maintain our certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council, a group of conservation organizations dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat.
That requires forethought and collaboration. We tap into the wisdom of Indigenous people who show us how everything in nature works together. We partner with other industry experts in our vegetation cooperative to collect native plant seeds in the area to be used in progressive reclamation projects.
Bears, foxes, owls are not an uncommon sight for our employees and contractors. We use critter cards to track and monitor wildlife on our sites and maintain our certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council, a group of conservation organizations dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat.
“Imperial is committed to continuous improvement and our reclamation practices continue to evolve. As we learn, we continue to do better to ensure we meet our goal of Protecting Tomorrow Today”.
Our people
The future of oil sands is happening today at Cold Lake. Doing things differently, advancing new technology, protecting the environment, and engaging with communities – all these things require people with expertise, perseverance, and good old grit. Our 400 employees and 1,000 contractors are the muscle and minds behind what we do, and most come from the City of Cold Lake, or the MD and Town of Bonnyville.
We set our teams up for success through training and development programs, mentorship and job rotation opportunities, along with networking programs that help our diverse people connect and grow professionally and technically.
We are relentlessly focused on making sure our people go home safely every day. We look out for each other so Nobody Gets Hurt.
Learn more about our commitment to safety.
-
Women in Wage
Our Women in Wage (WIW) network was formed in 1991 to support, mentor and empower women entering careers where they might not see a lot of other women.
-
Imperial Indigenous Network
Our Indigenous Network (IN) has provided support to our Indigenous team members for over 25 years.
Hear from plant operator, Tony Badger, about his experience with IN. -
Women’s Interest Network
We also have a Women’s Interest Network (WIN), which helps facilitate professional support for, and personal growth of, female employees.
Apply here
Learn more about what it would be like to work on our team and apply for positions.
Apply here Indigenous scholarship and internship programs
Our communities should be reflected in our workforce, which is why we work hard to bring Indigenous people onto our team. One of the ways we do this is through internship and scholarship programs.
Our communities
It’s all about community. Strong communities are where we find great people and important perspectives. Our communities live in Cold Lake, and the MD or Town of Bonnyville, and include 12 First Nation and Métis communities.
Cold Lake is a mix of people who stay for generations and Canadians who come in across the country for work and opportunity. They’re friendly, welcoming and whether they’re here for a season or a reason, they look out for each other and the environment.
Our care for the communities begins with our ongoing communication and engagement – we inform, consult, and report back on what we’re doing. Always.
Public notice of upcoming minor work: Marie Creek
-
Community investment
Giving to the community is the gift that keeps giving back. When we encourage innovation, we get innovation. When we invest in technical skills and leadership capacity, we get strong, effective partners, service providers, community organizations and employees. We succeed when everyone succeeds.
To learn more about our investment in communities or apply for grants, visit our community investment page. -
Indigenous engagement
The perspectives of Indigenous people help us understand the impacts of our operations and mitigate them. They help us see things from a different perspective – the whole of nature, and not just the parts.
We also bring Indigenous communities into our practices by investing in Indigenous businesses. We believe in the vision of companies that employ Indigenous people – and we invest in them. Take Pimee Well Servicing for example; the 100-percent Indigenous owned company is one of our longest-standing and biggest well servicing providers. -
Community safety and emergency response
Emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility here. We regularly do emergency simulation exercises and are always prepared should a crisis occur.
In the event of an emergency at Cold Lake, we will respond according to our robust emergency response plans. To learn more about how we protect our communities and our people, visit our safety overview.
Our future
Our expansion project will include our SA-SAGD technology. Located within our CLO lease, 23 kilometres from Cold Lake and within the MD of Bonnyville No. 87, this project achieved regulatory approval to proceed in August 2018.
Contact us
General inquiries: 780-639-5111
Imperial media line: 587-476-7010
Emergency contact (24 hours): 780-639-5200
Mailing address:
Imperial Oil Resources - Cold Lake Operations
P.O. Box 1020
Bonnyville, AB
T9N 2J7
Imperial media line: 587-476-7010
Emergency contact (24 hours): 780-639-5200
Mailing address:
Imperial Oil Resources - Cold Lake Operations
P.O. Box 1020
Bonnyville, AB
T9N 2J7
Jezelle Zatorski
Socioeconomic advisor - Indigenous community relations
Phone: 587.476.2939
Email: jezelle.m.zatorski@esso.ca
Socioeconomic advisor - Indigenous community relations
Phone: 587.476.2939
Email: jezelle.m.zatorski@esso.ca
Latest information on our operation
Latest
We're committed to progressive reclamation of our operations and actively find ways to incorporate indigenous knowledge into our approach to reclamation. Recently, we hosted tours at our Cold Lake and Kearl locations for local Indigenous communities ...
#DYK that Cold Lake has 15 wildlife cameras set up around site as part of our Wildlife Management and Monitoring Plan (WMMP)? Our WMMP helps protect and conserve wildlife and their habitat, as well as ensuring sustainable development by demonstrating...
Last week to apply for our Billion Barrel Scholarship! If you know any new graduates set to start their post-secondary educations this fall, be sure to tag them in the comments below! Each year we award two $5,000 scholarships to students in the Lake...
We are beyond proud of our superstar Keely, who was recently selected into the Indigenous Community Coach Apprenticeship Program. The program is designed to provide coaches/aspiring coaches the opportunity to obtain the necessary training to become a...
This is the last week to apply for our annual $1,000 Indigenous Educational Award! The application deadline is this Friday, July 31. Please share this with anyone you know who would make a great candidate! The award is designed to assist a student in...
You may be in the heat of summer, but it's never too early to start thinking about the Fall! Specifically, our Billion Barrel Scholarship - two $5,000 scholarships that are awarded annually to students in the Lakeland area pursuing post-secondary edu...
Cold Lake stories