Petrobank Ready to Fire Up its THAI Oil-Sands Process

Petrobank, a Calgary, Canada-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company, is commissioning its WHITESANDS oil-sands pilot project using the proprietary in-situ THAI combustion process. Pre-ignition warming is scheduled to begin in February, with combustion initiating by May 2006.

Peak production from the three wells is estimated at 1,800 barrels per day or 600 barrels of oil per day per horizontal well (1.8 kbpd total).