Suncor completes $1B coke drum replacement project

Key Takeaways:

• Suncor has completed a $1-billion project to replace eight massive coke drums at its Base Plant, extending the life of its Upgrader 1 facility by about 30 years.
• The multi-year project, which began in 2020, was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, with all major design, fabrication, and execution work done in Alberta.
• In addition to replacing the coke drums, Suncor upgraded foundations, piping, and safety systems—demonstrating its ability to execute large-scale infrastructure projects while supporting local industry.

The Whole Story:

Suncor Energy has completed a major infrastructure overhaul at its Base Plant near Fort McMurray, replacing eight massive coke drums in a multi-year project that will extend the life of its Upgrader 1 (U1) facility by approximately 30 years.

The project, which began in 2020, followed an extensive research and evaluation phase to determine whether the aging facility should be repaired or replaced. “After completing our research, we decided that replacing the coke drums was the best solution for our long-term business needs,” said Ryan Jackson, general manager of the Coke Drum Integrity Project. “Replacing the drums and ancillary systems, strengthening the foundations and structure and implementing extensive safety improvements will extend the U1 coker’s life by approximately 30 years.”

Each of the new drums stands 98 feet tall, measures 26 feet in diameter and weighs 270 tonnes. Lifting them into place required the Mammoet PTC210DS, one of the largest cranes in the world.

In addition to the coke drums themselves, crews replaced the cutting decks and decoking systems—modular steel structures the height of a two- to three-storey building that sit above the drums. These components were also fabricated in Alberta and transported to site from Nisku, just outside of Edmonton.

The work was carried out during scheduled maintenance events, including the 2024 Base Plant turnaround, when teams from Suncor and contractor partners reinforced the drum foundations, built up the main coke pit walls, and completed extensive piping changes.

“This project is a testament to the strength of our team and unrelenting focus on operations excellence,” said Peter Zebedee, Suncor’s executive vice-president of oil sands. “Everything went flawlessly, resulting in the project being completed safely, coming in ahead of schedule and below budget.”

Suncor emphasized the project’s strong Alberta roots. “We are very proud of being able to engage Alberta-based companies for the project,” said Stephane Gagnon, vice-president of operations upgrading. “The coke drums were engineered in Calgary and largely fabricated in Edmonton, making this a made-in-Alberta, by-Alberta, for-Alberta project.”

Although the effort involved work on a global scale, the design, engineering, fabrication and execution were all completed locally. In total, Suncor invested approximately $1 billion in the initiative, underscoring its long-term commitment to its oil sands operations and to maintaining a reliable supply of energy for Canadians.