Imperial Oil today announced that it will invest about $500 million to produce ultra low-sulphur diesel at its refineries across Canada.
Work to reduce sulphur levels in diesel fuel for on-road vehicles by almost 95 per cent has begun at Imperial Oil’s Strathcona refinery in Alberta, its Sarnia and Nanticoke refineries in Ontario, and its Dartmouth refinery in Nova Scotia.
“It will take the efforts of over 1,500 people and almost two years to complete,” said Brian Fischer, Senior Vice-President, Products & Chemicals at Imperial Oil. “But at the end of the day, Imperial Oil will be producing ultra low-sulphur diesel which, in combination with 2007 model vehicle engines, will reduce smog causing nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions from diesel-powered vehicles by almost 90 per cent.”
Government regulations introduced in February 2001 call for the sulphur levels in on-road diesel to be reduced to 15 ppm by June 1, 2006. Imperial Oil will be meeting this new requirement well in time for the introduction of 2007 model vehicles whose new engine designs will benefit from ultra low-sulphur diesel.
This initiative to reduce sulphur in on-road diesel follows a significant investment made by Imperial Oil to reduce the sulphur content of its gasoline by over 90 per cent, to 30 parts per million. Imperial invested over $600 million at its four refineries and in November 2003, began producing 30 ppm gasoline more than a year ahead of government regulations.
Imperial Oil is Canada’s largest integrated oil company and its largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products. Imperial Oil has four refineries in Canada: Dartmouth, NS; Nanticoke, ON; Sarnia, ON; and Strathcona, AB.
Contacts:
Imperial Oil Ltd. Media Relations
1-800-567-3776 (ask for Media Relations)