The McMurray Formation in North-Eastern Alberta is the source of 3/4 of Canadian oil production. The prolific Cretaceous reservoir is saturated with ultra-heavy oil, and is developed with surface mines (in the shallowest depocenters) and with Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) methods in the remaining areas of the Athabasca Oil Sands region.
Cenovus Foster Creek
- Operator: Cenovus Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 180,000 bbl/day
- Production: 209,000 bbpd (2021), 198,000 bpd (2025)
- Development Wells:
- Vertical Depth: 475-510m
- Location: 70-03+04+05+06W4 (Fisher)
CNRL Kirby South
- Operator: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL)
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 40,000 bbl/day
- Production:
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 525-550m
- Location: 73-07+08W4
CNRL Kirby North
- Operator: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL)
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 40,000 bbl/day
- Production:
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 490-525m
- Location: 75-08+09W4
CNRL Jackfish
- Operator: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL)
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 105,000 bbl/day (original), 120,000 bbl/day (revised)
- Production: 129,000 bpd (2020)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 425-500m
- Location: 75-06+07W4 (Leismer, Devenish)
- Remarks: Acquired from Devon Energy in 2019
Cenovus Christina Lake
- Operator: Cenovus Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 260,000 bbl/day (original), 310,000 bbl/day (revised)
- Production: 250,000 bpd (2021)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 375-425m
- Location: 75+76-06W4 (Hardy, Leismer)
Harvest BlackGold
- Operator: Harvest Operations
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 20,000 bbl/day, regulatory approval up to 40,000 bbl/day
- Production: 10,000 bpd (2019)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 400-425m
- Location: 76-07W4 (Leismer)
MEG Christina Lake
- Operator: MEG Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 260,000 bbl/day
- Production: 95,000 bpd (2025)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 375-400m
- Location: 77-04+05+06W4 (Hardy)
Athabasca Leismer
- Operator: Athabasca Oil
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 20,000 bbl/day, regulatory approval up to 40,000 bbl/day
- Production: 28,000 bpd (2024)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 425-500m
- Location: 78+79-10W4
- Remarks: Acquired from Statoil/Equinor
Connacher Great Divide
- Operator: Connacher Oil and Gas
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 15,000 bbl/day (original), 44,000 bbl/day (expansion)
- Production: 13,000 bpd (2017)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 475-525m
- Location: 82-12W4 (Algar)
Conoco Surmont
- Operator: ConocoPhillips Canada
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 145,000 bbl/day (original), 283,000 bbl/day (expansion)
- Production: 69,000 bpd (2021)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 325-425m
- Location: 83-06+07W4
Greenfire Hangingstone
- Operator: Greenfire Resources
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 50,000 bbl/day
- Production: 15,000 bpd (2025)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 275-375m
- Location: 84-11W4
- Remarks: Acquired from JACOS
Grizzly Algar
- Operator: Grizzly Oilsands
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 11,300 bbl/day
- Production: Suspended
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 250m
- Location: 85-12W4
- Remarks: suspended since 2013, restarted in 2025
CNOOC Long Lake
- Operator: CNOOC Petroleum North America
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 72,000 bbl/day (original), 98,000 bbl/day (with expansion)
- Production: 80,200 bpd (2023)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 225-300m
- Location: 85+86-06+07W4
- Remarks: Acquired from Nexen
Athabasca Hangingstone
- Operator: Athabasca Oil
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 12,000 bbl/day
- Production: 9,000 bpd (2025)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 175-200m
- Location: 86-09W4
PetroChina MacKay River
- Operator: PetroChina Canada
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 35,000 bbl/day
- Production: 2,200 bpd (2020)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 175-200m
- Location: 90-14W4
Greenfire MacKay River
- Operator: Greenfire Resources
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 12,000 bbl/day
- Production: Suspended
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 175-200m
- Location: 91-14W4
- Remarks: Acquired from Everest/Southern Pacific
Suncor MacKay River
- Operator: Suncor Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 73,000 bbl/day
- Production: 35,000 bpd (2025)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 125-175m
- Location: 93-12W4
Suncor Firebag
- Operator: Suncor Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 180,000 bbl/day (original) 215,000 bbl/day (revised in 2020)
- Production: 250,000 bpd (2025)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 275-325m
- Location: 94+95-05+06W4
CNRL Joslyn Creek
- Operator: Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL)
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 160,000 bbl/day (combined mine and in-situ)
- Production: Suspended
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 75-100m
- Location: 95-12W4
- Remarks: Acquired from Total Energy, Suspended
Cenovus Sunrise
- Operator: Cenovus Energy
- Target: McMurray Formation
- Nameplate capacity: 60,000 bbl/day, regulatory approval up to 200,000 bbl/day
- Production: 50,000 bbl/d (2022)
- Development wells:
- Vertical Depth: 175-250m
- Location: 95-07W4
- Remarks: Acquired from Husky in 2020
