MEG Energy

MEG Energy is a pure play Canadian oil sands producer engaged in exploration in Northern Alberta. All of its oil reserves are more than 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface and so they depend on steam-assisted gravity drainage and associated technology to produce (heavy bitumen must first be brought to the surface). The company's main thermal project is Christina Lake. 85-megawatt cogeneration plants are used to produce the steam used in SAGD which is required to bring bitumen to the surface. The excess heat and electricity produced at its plants is then sold to Alberta's power grid. Its proven reserves have been independently pegged at 1.7 billion barrels (270×10^⁶ m³) and probable reserves (also called recoverable resource) 3.7 billion barrels (590×10^⁶ m³) (by engineering firm GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd ); That's significant considering only 300 billion barrels (48×10^⁹ m³) of the 1.6 trillion barrels (250×10^⁹ m³) of bitumen in Alberta is considered recoverable under current technology. The value of those reserves is over $19.8 billion. CNOOC has a minority 16.69% interest in MEG Energy.