Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeCommoditiesEnergyOil & GasAlberta wildfires break out in Lac la Biche oilsands regionA total of six out-of-control fires are burning in the Lac la Biche regionAuthor of the article:Last updated 5 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Major oilsands sites including Cenovus Energy Inc.’s Christina Lake, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s Jackfish and Kirby North and ConocoPhillips’ Surmont are between 11 and 19 kilometres away from wildfires. Photo by Shaughn Butts - PostmediaWildfires have erupted in Canada’s oilsands-producing region of Alberta with large blazes within 20 kilometres of about half a million barrels a day of crude production.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorA total of six out-of-control fires are burning in the Lac la Biche region, where many of the largest in-situ oilsands well sites are located, with the biggest blaze being 1,000 hectares (2,471.1 acres) in size, according to Alberta Wildfire.Major oilsands sites including Cenovus Energy Inc.’s Christina Lake, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s Jackfish and Kirby North and ConocoPhillips’ Surmont are between 11 and 19 kilometres away from wildfires bigger than 10 hectares, according to Alberta Energy Regulator and Alberta Wildfire data. The approximately 229 residents of the community of Conklin have been told to prepare to evacuate, should the need arise.Emails to the three companies as well as Harvest Operations Corp., a smaller oil sands operator, were not immediately returned.Wildfires can pose a threat to oil production in Canada in the spring and summer. This year, the fire season coincides with the curtailment of as much as 20 per cent of the world’s oil supplies from the Middle East due to the Iran war, sending crude prices above US$100 a barrel at times over the past three months. Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer with most crude output coming from the Alberta oil sands and going to the U.S.To be sure, nearby wildfires don’t normally affect operations at oil and gas facilities. But blazes last summer shut about seven per cent of the country’s oil production at one point, and massive wildfires in 2016 shut down more than a million barrels a day for weeks and burned down parts of Fort McMurray, the unofficial capital of the oilsands.Below are facilities within 20 kilometres of out-of-control fires, their proximity from the blazes and approximate average oil and gas production over the past year, based on Alberta Energy Regulator data. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.