Canadian Natural Resources Limited initiated the Horizon Oil Sands project to facilitate the production of 115,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. The project included the development of the mining operation, ore preparation plant, extraction facilities, oil refining, and associated support units. The facility is located approximately one hour north of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Working for Technip Italy, PCL constructed the majority of the primary upgrading unit, which consists of a diluents recovery unit and a delayed coking unit. The primary upgrading unit is the largest of several units that make up the Horizon project.

Constructed during a heated labor market, this project saw the majority of its workers arrive from outside Alberta. That didn’t stop the PCL team from maintaining a personal connection to the project’s success, however, especially when a senior construction team traveled to the engineer’s office in Rome to provide construction input and planning. The trip facilitated the implementation of an integrated engineering and construction planning approach that kept the project on schedule through harsh winter conditions.