Refining

New Brunswick is home to Canada’s largest, most modern oil refinery, producing some of the cleanest fuels in North America. The Irving Oil refinery was built in 1960, making it one of the first major energy resources of our now rich and diverse energy portfolio and a cornerstone of the region’s Energy Hub.

Since production began in 1960 the refinery has seen two expansions in 1971 and 1974 and a $1.5 billion upgrade in 2000. The refinery now has the capacity to produce up to 300,000 barrels of transportation fuels per day, 175,000 of which are exported to the US Northeast, representing 42 percent of all Canadian petroleum exports.  It is estimated that 6 out of every 10 cars in Boston run on Irving Oil low-sulfur gasoline.

Since 2003, Irving Oil has invested $150 million to produce ultra-low sulphur diesel. Irving’s clean diesel has a sulphur content of only 15 parts per million, which is a 97 percent reduction from the industry standard. The refinery was also the first in Canada to produce low-sulphur gasoline, which was offered three years before regulation, and the first in Canada to produce high octane gasoline without the use of lead additives.

Irving’s commitment to producing clean fuels has earned the company the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence Award. This marks the first time that an oil company has earned this award.

Imperial Oil -

Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest corporations is a familiar cornerstone in Canada’s petroleum industry. Within our region, Imperial Oil's Dartmouth refinery was constructed in 1918 initially to meet the demands of the First World War. Since then it has undergone a series of expansions and currently has a processing capacity of 89,000 barrels a day.

North Atlantic Refinery -

The North Atlantic Refinery, built in the early 1970’s, is a sour crude refinery located in Come By Chance, Newfoundland. The refinery is owned by Harvest Energy Trust and has a processing capacity of up to 115,000 barrels of oil per day.