Suncor Plans To Resume Canadian Oil-sand Operations After Wildfire

(RTTNews) - Suncor Energy Inc. (SU.TO, SU) announced Sunday that it has begun the safe and staged restart of its operations near the fire-ravaged community of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

In a statement, the Canadian crude-oil producer said start-up activities are well underway at Base Plant and the MacKay River in situ facility. The company expects initial production to commence by the end of this week, subject to conditions in the region.

Suncor's assets Are safe and all sites have enhanced fire mitigation and protection. Also, the region experiences improved conditions with cooler weather and several days of precipitation.

The company's statement indicates that the Canadian oil sands outages caused by the massive wildfires that started in early May, ?are slowly coming to an end.

Suncor said it has moved over 4,000 employees and contractors back into the region, including Fort Hills workers. Over the coming weeks, the company anticipates to move approximately 3,500 additional people to support its return to operations.

Suncor Energy had shut down its RMWB operations in early May and safely moved over 10,000 people, as the fire ravaged the area.