Cenovus Scales Back Staff at Foster Creek as Alberta Wildfires Intensify
Cenovus Energy is reducing non-essential staffing at its Foster Creek oil sands facility in northern Alberta as wildfires continue to threaten key energy-producing regions of the province.
The move comes amid a broader response to a growing wildfire crisis in Alberta, where several blazes have led to production shutdowns and community evacuations. Cenovus, one of the operators in the Bonnyville-Cold Lake area, said the measure is precautionary as fires near Chipewyan Lake—around 130 km west of Fort McMurray—spread across an estimated 2,900 hectares.
While Alberta officials stated there was no immediate danger to Chipewyan Lake, residents were placed on a one-hour evacuation notice on Wednesday due to changing wind conditions. Elsewhere in the province, a separate 1,600-hectare fire continues to burn out of control just 7 km north of Swan Hills.
Roughly 1,200 residents in Swan Hills were ordered to evacuate earlier this week. In response, Aspenleaf Energy temporarily shut down operations and curtailed approximately 4,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of output.
The wildfire emergency has now extended beyond Alberta. The neighboring province of Manitoba declared its own state of emergency on Wednesday as multiple fires threatened communities and critical infrastructure in northern and eastern regions. Evacuations and alerts remain in place across affected areas.
Cenovus emphasized it is actively monitoring the situation and remains committed to protecting personnel and assets. While operations continue where safe, the unfolding wildfire threat is adding to volatility in Canadian energy production just as summer demand begins to build.
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