Imperial Oil Limited announced its Grand Rapids oil sands project has started production at Cold Lake, marking the first commercial deployment of the recovery technology that uses less steam to lower emissions intensity. The project, located at Imperial?s Cold Lake operating site, is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by up to 40% compared to existing processes in use. The technology, known as solvent-assisted, steam-assisted gravity drainage, or SA-SAGD, uses a lighter oil mixed with steam to recover the oil from underground deposits.

Imperial developed and piloted the technology, which is the first deployment in industry. Production will continue to ramp up over the next few months to achieve full rates of 15,000 gross barrels per day later this year. Imperial is planning reductions in greenhouse gas emissions intensity over the next decade to help support Canada?s net zero goals.

By the end of 2030, Imperial anticipates reduced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity of its operated oil sands facilities by 30%, compared with 2016 levels. The company plans to achieve this through implementation of lower greenhouse gas next generation technologies at its Cold Lake operation, efficiency improvements at its facilities and the use of carbon capture and storage.