ALBERTA - Imperial Oil, operator and 71% owner, says start-up is underway at the first phase of the Kearl oil sands project. ExxonMobil Canada owns the remaining 29% of the project 75 km northeast of Fort McMurray.

CALGARY - The Mildred Lake and Aurora oil sands mines belonging to Syncrude have won the Immersive Technologies’ 2011 Business Improvement Award for outstanding results with its simulator-based operator training program.