Save the date: Cenovus Energy announces West White Rose structure marriage next month

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 3:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 26

Alberta-based Cenovus Energy has acceptable a day for 1 of Newfoundland and Labrador's highest illustration weddings.

The West White Rose project's factual gravity operation (CGS) was floated retired to Placentia Bay successful May, and adjacent period it volition beryllium joined to the topside operation that arrived successful Bull Arm a week ago. 

The 23,000-tonne topside had a two-week, 3,500-nautical-mile travel from Ingleside, Texas wherever it was built.

"What you spot down maine is this important portion of the West White Rose project," Cenovus projects vice-president Derek Pearcey told reporters astatine the Bull Arm fabrication tract connected Thursday.

The topside includes a drilling platform, roar flare, surviving quarters for 144 people and "all the utilities you need," said Pearcey. 

Some components were fabricated successful Marystown.

The plan is to nonstop the topside 350 kilometers offshore wrong the adjacent month to beryllium mated with the CGS.

Over the adjacent mates of weeks, Pearcey said the operation volition spell done inspections and preparations earlier it is acceptable to go. 

The topside will person to beryllium transferred from its current vessel to the Pioneering Spirit, "the largest dense assistance vas successful the world" according to Pearcey. 

Cenovus is aiming for archetypal lipid by outpouring 2026, with an expected accumulation of 80,000 barrels of lipid per time by 2028.

"It's an breathtaking clip for the full task squad who's been moving connected this for galore years," said Pearcey. "Here is the past portion that we request to get offshore."

'Lowest c oil'

Pearcey said the adjacent extremity is to person the rig drilling earlier the extremity of the year. He said it's designed to past 25 years, and the institution is planning to person it successful accumulation until 2038. 

"We're ever looking for much worth opportunities to spell beyond that," said Pearcey. 

Meanwhile, Canada has plans to trim its emissions to 40 per cent beneath 2005 levels by 2030, and scope net-zero by 2050. That includes reducing emissions from the lipid and state assemblage by 31 per cent. 

Cenovus has been a staunch hostile of national authorities emissions caps, and met with Prime Minister Mark Carney connected June 1, alongside different vigor assemblage companies, to sermon partnerships.

Despite these caps, Pearcey said determination volition beryllium a planetary request for vigor for a fig of years, and that West White Rose volition beryllium recovering lipid successful a mode that is "environmentally responsible." 

"So if we're going to proviso oil, we should beryllium doing it with this benignant of installation offshore. Here we marque immoderate of the lowest c lipid determination is," helium said. 

Scientists besides foretell that clime alteration volition bring much storms to Canada's east. 

But, Pearcey said the operation is designed to withstand each biology challenges, including dense winds, waves and icebergs. 

"We inactive person a batch of enactment to bash offshore, a batch of large marine activities, but we've been readying for that for years," helium said. "So, it's a truly breathtaking twelvemonth for us."

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