Suncor’s Safety Record Suffers Another Blow With Refinery Fire

Canada’s largest oil-sands producer has been the source of scrutiny recently after a series of mishaps including a truck accident in January that killed a contractor and injured two others at its Base Plant mine, a death at the Syncrude mine last June and two deaths in December 2020 at the Fort Hills mine.

In February, Chief Executive Officer Mark Little said in an earnings call that he knew many were questioning the company’s focus on safety. “These outcomes are unacceptable and we know that we must do better,” he said.

An email to the company for comment wasn’t immediately returned.

Suncor rose 1.1% at 3:06 p.m. in Toronto. The shares are up 30% so far this year, under-performing rivals Cenovus Energy Inc., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and Imperial Oil Ltd.