In its latest capital budget released Wednesday, the small oilsands producer said a planned carbon-capture installation at its Leismer site south of Fort McMurray, Alta., is “expected to be sanctioned in 2023.” (The Logic) 

Talking point: Athabasca had previously said it was exploring building carbon-capture technology onto its existing operations alongside Calgary-based carbon sequestration company Entropy. Athabasca’s budget suggests the project is moving ahead as oil producers look to develop carbon-capture technology to drive down emissions. Entropy, a subsidiary of Calgary-based oil producer Advantage Energy, has already installed its technology at other sites including the Glacier Gas Plant in Alberta’s northwest. Athabasca is one of the few remaining small oilsands producers in the province, with plans to produce up to 36,000 barrels of oil per day next year (oilsands giant Suncor Energy, by comparison, plans to produce about 800,000 barrels per day).