CALGARY – A project to turn oilsands off-gas into a feedstock for plastic producers is almost ready for startup.
The president of Williams Energy Canada says mechanical work on the project — which involves expansions to its facilities in Fort McMurray and Redwater, Alta., — is virtually done.
David Chappell says in the next week and a half or so, Williams should be able to remove ethane from the mixture of gases that are a byproduct of the oilsands upgrading process.
Ordinarily that gas would be burned as an energy source, but Williams says it’s more valuable to sell it to petrochemical companies that can turn it into plastic products.
Some ethane and ethylene that’s extracted with this project will be sent to Nova Chemicals’ facilities in Joffre, Alta.
Williams has invested between $450 million and $500 million on the project over the last two years.