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Syncrude Fire Update

EDMONTON – A
spokesman for Alberta's energy regulator says a fire at the Syncrude
oilsands plant near Fort McMurray burned for 11 hours before it was
extinguished.

Canadian Oil Sands Trust, a major partner in the Syncrude plant, says the blaze was put out early this morning.

It
erupted in equipment used to scrub and vent gas produced by a coker —
a giant vessel that uses high temperatures to turn thick, gooey bitumen
into crude oil.

Darin Barter with the Alberta Energy and
Utilities Board says the blaze started just before 5 p-m yesterday and
was extinguished around 4 this morning.

He says there was no evacuation and no workers were harmed.

Barter says the cause of the fire is not known and the regulator will examine the company's response to it.

Alberta
Environment spokesman Josh Stewart says some gas containing sulphur
dioxide, sulphur compounds and particulates was released during the
fire.

But he says the amount thrown off was within acceptable limits.

(The Canadian Press)