A fully permitted greenfield SAGD asset
in the Athabasca oil sands.
Surmont Energy Ltd. is a privately held oilsands company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
The company holds a 100% working interest in the Wildwood Project — a delineated, fully permitted in situ asset 65 km south of Fort McMurray, in the heart of SAGD development and surrounded by major operating projects.
Permitted
Wildwood holds its Alberta Energy Regulator Commercial Scheme Approval, EPEA approval, and Order in Council, all granted in 2016, together with four Crown oil sands leases maintained in good standing since 2007.
Delineated
The McMurray Formation resource was delineated through seismic programs and cored stratigraphic wells, and has been evaluated by independent petroleum engineers since 2012.
Engineered
Front-end engineering is complete for a phased SAGD development — a 12,000 bbl/d Phase 1 design with on-site steam and power generation, supported by a resource base capable of staged expansion beyond 30,000 bbl/d.
The Wildwood Project
The Wildwood Project is a greenfield in situ oil sands property in the Athabasca region of northeastern Alberta, located in Township 82, Ranges 7 to 9, West of the Fourth Meridian. The Surmont lease consists of 19 square miles (approximately 50 square kilometres / 4,864 hectares) of contiguous land held under four Alberta Crown oil sands leases, granting rights from below the top of the Viking Formation to the base of the Woodbend Group. Surmont Energy holds a 100% working interest.
| Lease | Area (ha) | Legal description | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSL 7407060378 | 3,072 | Sections 7–10 and 15–22, Twp 82 Rge 08 W4M | June 28, 2007 |
| OSL 7407060379 | 768 | Sections 13, 24–25, Twp 82 Rge 09 W4M | June 28, 2007 |
| OSL 7407070234 | 768 | Section 19, Twp 82 Rge 07 W4M; Sections 23–24, Twp 82 Rge 08 W4M | July 12, 2007 |
| OSL 7407090356 | 256 | Section 36, Twp 82 Rge 09 W4M | September 20, 2007 |
All leases are active and were formally continued by the Government of Alberta effective May 1, 2025.
Geology
The target reservoir is the bitumen-saturated sands of the Cretaceous McMurray Formation, present at depths of 450 to 500 metres beneath the Clearwater shale regional caprock. The bitumen grades 8.0° API, confirmed by independent laboratory analysis. The deposit lies well below mineable depth; SAGD is the established recovery technology for reservoirs of this depth and character, as applied at producing projects throughout the surrounding area.
Operations & Engineering
Between 2011 and 2021, Surmont Energy and its technical partners completed a comprehensive development engineering program: 2D and 3D seismic acquisition, cored stratigraphic delineation wells, extensive environmental field studies, and a full facility and well-pad design program.
The approved and engineered Phase 1 design comprises an approximately 12,000 barrel per day (bpd) central processing facility, two initial well pads with approximately 6–7 well pairs per pad, and several water source wells, together with associated infrastructure including roads and pipelines. The design makes use of existing infrastructure and previously disturbed areas, including roads and utility corridors, wherever practical. The facility design generates both steam and power on site using natural gas fuel, with water treatment and recycling engineered for high conservation performance. The Phase 1 design area covers approximately 22% of Surmont’s Wildwood leases.
The 2018–2021 redesign program incorporated operating learnings from analogous Athabasca SAGD projects: superpad configuration, long horizontal well pairs, flow control devices, infill wells, and non-condensable gas co-injection. Updated designs, plans, and cost estimates were integrated into refreshed independent economic evaluations.
Wildwood SAGD Central Processing Facility — design rendering
Location & Regional Map
Wildwood is located 65 kilometres south of Fort McMurray and close to major regional highways, railways, pipelines and other infrastructure.
The property is in the heart of SAGD development, surrounded by major oil companies on all sides, with access to an experienced regional workforce.
A Licence of Occupation (LOC161117), issued in May 2017, authorizes an all-weather access road and bridge into the project area.
Click the map to expand.
Regulatory Record
Wildwood achieved fully permitted status in 2016–2017 following a multi-year regulatory process, including a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment and completed Indigenous and stakeholder consultation confirmed by a Consultation Adequacy Report.
| Instrument | Authority | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Oil Sands Leases (4) | Government of Alberta, Department of Energy | June–September 2007 |
| Oil Sands Exploration Letter of Authority OSE 110094 | Alberta Sustainable Resource Development | December 19, 2011 |
| Application for Approval, Wildwood SAGD Project (incl. EIA) | Filed with Alberta regulators | September 2012 |
| Consultation Adequacy Report | Aboriginal Consultation Office | December 19, 2014 |
| Order in Council | Lieutenant Governor in Council, Alberta | September 15, 2016 |
| Commercial Scheme Approval No. 12421 | Alberta Energy Regulator | September 28, 2016 |
| EPEA Approval No. 318401-00-00 | Alberta Energy Regulator | September 28, 2016 |
| Licence of Occupation LOC161117 | Alberta Energy Regulator | May 8, 2017 |
| Lease Continuation | Government of Alberta, Department of Energy | Effective May 1, 2025 |
Our Approach
Surmont’s approach is grounded in integrity, honesty, scientific principle, and hard work. The company built the Wildwood asset methodically — from land acquisition and delineation through a multi-year regulatory process to full permitting and completed front-end engineering — and manages it with the same discipline today.
Community
Surmont conducted Indigenous and stakeholder consultation across the Wildwood project area between 2013 and 2015, culminating in a Consultation Adequacy Report issued by Alberta’s Aboriginal Consultation Office in December 2014. The company values its long-standing relationships with the communities of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
Contact Us
Surmont Energy Ltd.
Suite 1700, 505 3rd Street SWCalgary, Alberta, CANADA T2P 3E6
Head Office: +1 403 930 4692
info@surmontenergy.com
