PROJECT 49
On March 31, Connacher acquired
the Montana Refining Company
(MRC) on the edge of the Missouri
River in Great Falls, Montana. At purchase, it was an 8,300-barrel-per-day
facility, but after the completion of a
recent turnaround, capacity has been
increased by 1,000 barrels per day.
There is also reportedly room for
“modest expansion.” Sametz says
the MRC provides for a number of
synergies with Connacher’s growing
operations.
“It already took Canadian crude
as it was, and it took a [heavy] Bow
River blend,” he explains.
Gusella says the staff at the small
refinery, which is the closest facility
of its kind to the Canadian border,
is also looking forward to the at-
least-25-years of oil supply ahead.
“Alberta and Montana kind of
think the same way, and they have
a bunch of talent there.”
Although the company is too small
to build its own upgrader, the MRC
purchase is designed to minimize
CONNACHER’S PROGRESS
2001
Created via renaming of Justinian Explorations Ltd.,
assets in central Alberta and Argentina
2002
Acquired assets at Battrum, Saskatchewan
2003
Average daily production rises 74 per cent year over year
2004
Acquired lands for Great Divide SAGD project
2005
Submitted EUB application for Great Divide
2006
Great Divide approved, Luke Energy and Montana
Refining Company purchased
ILLUSTRATION: Connacher Oil and Gas
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)
