Cenovus pinpoints start-up date for Canada project

Canadian major confident West White Rose cost will not increase and addresses equity stake, as field heads to first oil in 2026

All systems go: a man works on the concrete wellhead platform for Cenovus Energy’s now revived West White Rose project at Argentia in Newfoundland, Canada in late 2019, just before activities were suspended for two years
All systems go: a man works on the concrete wellhead platform for Cenovus Energy’s now revived West White Rose project at Argentia in Newfoundland, Canada in late 2019, just before activities were suspended for two yearsPhoto: REUTERS/SCANPIX

Canadian major Cenovus is targeting first production in early 2026 from its reignited C$4 billion (US$3.1 billion) West White Rose project offshore Newfoundland & Labrador and does not expect costs to escalate despite tightness in the upstream supply chain.

West White Rose was 65% into its construction phase when in March 2020, former operator Husky Energy — later acquired by Cenovus — suspended the Canadian project owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the oil price crash and the energy transition.

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