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1719 |
Waupisoo, a Cree native assisting fur traders, brings samples of oil sands to the Hudson's Bay post at Fort Churchill . This is the first time in Canadian history oil sands is mentioned.
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1790 |
Scottish Explorer Alexander Mackenzie provides the first recorded detailed description of the Athabasca oil sands.
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1875 |
An expedition by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) examines the rivers flowing into Lake Athabasca . Botanist John Macoun notes the “tar” flow through mineral water. This observation later becomes the basis for future technology used to separate oil sands.
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1882 |
Dr. Robert Bell, of the GSC, arrives in Athabasca to study the area and reports on oil sands.
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1883 |
G. C. Hoffman, of the GSC, first attempts to separate bitumen from oil sands by introducing water to the sand. He reports success in the separation efforts.
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1913 |
Sidney C. Ells, of the Mines Branch of the GSC, conducts a survey of the Athabasca region and sees potential in using the oil sands resource as a road-surfacing material. Also that year, he finds an operation in California capable of separating bitumen from sand using hot water.
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1915 |
Ells conducts a paving experiment using bitumen, funded by the federal and provincial governments and the City of Edmonton . The experiment produces good results – the roads lasted 50 years.
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1921 |
The Scientific and Industrial Research Council of Alberta is founded with a mandate that includes oil sands research.
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1924 |
An oil sands separation plant is built in railway yards in the Athabasca region. The plant is based on the design of Dr. Karl Clark.
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1925 |
Entrepreneur Robert Fitzsimmons builds a model of the hot-water separation plant at his company’s Bitumount site.
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1928 |
Dr. Clark and associate Sidney M. Blair are granted a Canadian patent for the hot water separation process.
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1930 |
Fitzsimmons makes the first sale of commercially produced bitumen in Edmonton. Because it couldn’t be upgraded at this point, bitumen is used as fence post dip, roof tar, and pavement.
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1949 |
The Province of Alberta takes over the Bitumount site as its Oil Sands Project.
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1953 |
The Great Canadian Oil Sands consortium, which would later become Suncor Energy Inc., is formed and includes Abasand Oils, Canadian Oils Ltd., Champion’s Oil Sands Ltd., Oil Sands Ltd. It is led by the dominant American firm Sun Oil Co.
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1962 |
The design for the Great Canadian Oil Sands plant begins, and two years later construction starts up.
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1964 |
Syncrude Canada Ltd. is incorporated as a company.
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1967 |
The Great Canadian Oil Sands plant officially opens its doors.
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1974 |
The Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA) is established to research in situ oil sands technologies.
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1978 |
Syncrude’s new oil sands plant officially opens at Mildred Lake.
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1979 |
The Great Canadian Oil Sands plant is renamed Suncor Inc., Oil Sands Group.
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1983 |
AOSTRA develops its own designs for an underground test facility project.
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1985 |
Commercial production begins at Imperial Oil’s in situ operation in Cold Lake.
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1989 |
Oil sands production at Cold Lake exceeds 22,260 cubic metres (140,000 barrels) per day.
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1995 |
The Oil Sands Task Force goes public. It is designed to encourage investment in the oil sands by getting the two levels of government to make significant changes to their policies, including to the tax and royalty regimes.
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1995 |
Both Syncrude and Suncor announce plans for expansions to their base operations.
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1999 |
The EUB grants approval to Shell Canada for its Muskeg River Mine oil sands development.
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2003 |
The EUB’s first regional office opens in Fort McMurray.
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2004 |
The EUB issues approvals for both Shell Canada’s Jackpine mine and Canadian Natural Resources’ Horizon project. |
