Thermal Oil Project Execution

Project Execution is essential for the delivery of resource projects in a safe, cost effective, and timely manner. Athabasca achieves Project Execution through adherence to its Pillars of Execution: The Right People; The Right Design; Construction Driven; and Strategic Modularization.

The Right People

Athabasca has assembled an impressive team of top professionals, seasoned veterans with track records of executing Thermal (SAGD/CSS) projects on time and on budget. Athabasca has developed extensive, in-house experience in every aspect of thermal project delivery and thermal operations in Alberta.

The Right Design

The design quality of a Central Plant impacts several important factors of project operations: capital costs; operability; reliability; and repeatability. Athabasca’s approach includes effectively managing capital costs by choosing fit-for-purpose, economical plant designs which revolve around operability and repeatability. The Company's Thermal Team has extensive experience in selecting proven and robust technologies from reputable firms. Our business philosophy — designing once and building multiple times in the field — leads to significant cost reductions and operational advantages

Construction Driven

Athabasca's ‘Construction Driven’ philosophy of project execution centers on the construction phase driving the deliverables. From engineering to procurement, this philosophy ensures the highest level of preparedness when projects potentially face their highest levels of risk. Our construction driven philosophy involves mobilizing a Construction Management Team (“CMT”) during the early stages of an oil sands project.

Our CMTs are embedded within the engineering/project management groups and assume direct and intimate control of the project's construction phase. This integrated work flow and structure enables the establishment of deliverable milestones for engineering packages and ensures the delivery of equipment and materials matches construction requirements and timelines.

Strategic Modularization

During the past decade, the oil sands industry has pushed toward the fabrication of large, oversized pipe and standardized equipment modules (25’ x 25’ x 120’). To date, the fabrication of the most of these oil sands modules has been conducted in the Edmonton area.

Experts, however, suggest that one of the greatest challenges to the oil sands industry activity (between 2013 and 2018) will be labour shortages and price competition in the Edmonton area. To mitigate concerns of escalating costs and competition, Athabasca divided the oversize equipment module design into four smaller modules (12’ x 12’ x 80’), side-stepping the need to fabricate in Edmonton. A reduced transportation envelope, for the smaller modules, translates into new fabrication options across North America, allowing for more flexible and cost effective fabrication solutions.