Fire halts mined bitumen production at Suncor's Fort McMurray base plant

Suncor Energy Inc. says it will be early September before mined bitumen production resumes at its base plant mining operation in Fort McMurray, Alta.

The Calgary-based company has released an update on operations at the plant in the wake of a fire in the extraction area of the plant on Aug. 14.

Suncor says the fire was contained quickly, extinguished several hours later and no one was hurt.

It says regulators have been notified and maintenance planned for the third quarter has been accelerated in advance of a return to normal operations.

Bitumen that was already available at the plant continues to be processed as Suncor says its two upgraders at the plant remain online, working at minimum rates.

The company has not released a cause of the fire but says it will release a further operational update by early next month.