Husky has achieved first oil at the Spruce Lake Central thermal project in Saskatchewan and is moving towards startup of the Liuhua 29-1 field at the Liwan Gas Project.

Spruce Lake Central, Husky’s sixth 10,000-barrel-per-day thermal bitumen project since 2015, has been completed safely, on schedule and on budget with enhanced COVID-19 health protocols in place.

In the Asia Pacific region, the tie-in of the Liuhua 29-1 field at the Liwan Gas Project is now complete, with first gas production and sales expected early in the fourth quarter.

“Both Spruce Lake Central and the Liuhua 29-1 field are expected to generate immediate strong free cash flow at current pricing as they come onstream,” said CEO Rob Peabody. “Our portfolio of lower-cost, higher margin projects reinforces our resilience in a challenging market environment.”

Spruce Lake Central began steaming in the second quarter of 2020, and will ramp up to full production over the next couple of months.

Husky’s Saskatchewan thermal projects are directly linked to its Lloydminster Upgrader, Asphalt Refinery and Midwest U.S. refineries, with access to secured pipeline capacity and ample storage to maximize available margins. They are also not subject to the government-mandated production quotas that remain in place in Alberta.

Offshore China, Husky and its partner CNOOC have advanced the Liuhua 29-1 field to mechanical completion ahead of schedule and below budget, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. First production and gas/liquids sales are expected to start by November.

Target production is 45 mmcf/day of gas and 1,800 bbls/day of liquids when fully ramped up, reflecting Husky’s 75% working interest plus exploration cost recovery volumes.

About Husky

Husky (TSX:HSE) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. It has approximately 5,200 employees and has average daily production of about 320,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The Company has two main areas of focus:

- The Integrated Corridor includes natural gas, non-thermal oil, NGLs and thermal production from Western Canada, the Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, the Husky Midstream Limited Partnership (35 percent working interest and operatorship), and the Lima and Toledo refineries in the U.S. Midwest. Gas production from the repositioned Western Canada portfolio is closely aligned with the Company’s energy requirements for refining and thermal bitumen production, and acts as a natural hedge.

- The Offshore business includes operations and exploration in the Asia Pacific region, primarily offshore China, Indonesia and Taiwan, and in the Atlantic, offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. Each area generates high-netback production, with near and long-term investment potential.