Without meaning to harp on about it - Longlake won't actually be getting 60 kpd of upgraded crude until mid 2009 according to its website (www.opticanada.com). 2.5 Years from first steam through to full capacity of upgraded product.

It is a long wait but I am in for the long run :)

Hi O.K,

I'm not sure that I understand your post completely, but, all guidance from both Nexen and OPTI now has Long Lake producing fully upgraded Synthetic Crude sometime starting in the back-half of 2008. Bitumen production has already started though at a very minimal level. The central problem with the Long Lake project so far has been the shortage of labor to complete the Upgrader. In my opinion there will be a final hurdle for this project to overcome next year: and that is their unique gassification/recycling process, aka "OrCrude." What I imply here is that we have not seen this process actually work, yet.

Fingers crossed.

Gregor