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Horizon Oil Sands is an oil sands mining and upgrading project in Bitumount, Alberta, Canada. The project includes a surface oil sands mining and bitumen extraction plant, complemented by on-site bitumen upgrading with associated infrastructure.[1]
Initial examination of the Horizon project began in 2004.[2] Construction started in 2005 and it started operating on February 28, 2009.[2]
Horizon is owned and operated by Canadian Natural Resources. The company holds leases that are estimated to contain approximately 14.4 billion barrels (2.29×10 9 m3) of bitumen initially in place (BIIP), with best estimate contingent resources other than reserves of 4.1 billion barrels (650×10 6 m3) of bitumen and 3.3 billion barrels (520×10 6 m3) of proved and probablereserves. The Horizon Oil Sands are located on these leases just north of Fort McMurray, Alberta in the Athabasca region.[1]
On April 25, 2007, two employees were killed when a roof situated at the location collapsed.[3] In addition, four other people were injured in the incident.[3] On September 3, 2008, a contract employee was killed when their backhoe overturned in a tailings pond.[4]