CALGARY,
March 17, 2014 /CNW/ - Ivanhoe Energy
Inc. (TSX: IE; NASDAQ: IVAN) announced today that following a
thorough review the Company has suspended activity on its current
Tamarack oil sands project.
Ivanhoe's decision is based on the uncertainty
that there is no timeline defined by the Alberta Energy Regulator
(AER) for a new regulatory framework for shallow SAGD projects, and
that there is no clarity as to a path for approval for its Tamarack
application. Until there is greater regulatory certainty as to a
path to approval, Ivanhoe will limit Tamarack spending to only
essential items.
Ivanhoe considers its decision appropriate and
in the best interests of all stakeholders, given the resulting
delay in the approval process. Ivanhoe believes its application, as
submitted, adheres to best practises for safe reservoir
development. The Company is also evaluating novel and advanced
technologies that could potentially result in early production from
the Tamarack oil sands project.
The Company estimates that the regulatory
uncertainty affects up to one million barrels per day of future
shallow SAGD projects held by various resource owners. This future
production represents a significant percentage of the Canadian
Association of Petroleum Producers overall forecasted oil sands
production growth.
Ivanhoe is working with other affected resource
owners and the AER to support the early issuance of a long-term
policy for shallow SAGD projects.
Ivanhoe Energy is an independent international
heavy oil exploration and development company focused on pursuing
long-term growth in its reserves and production using advanced
technologies, including its proprietary heavy oil upgrading process
(HTL®). Core operations are in Canada, United
States, and Ecuador, with
business development opportunities worldwide. Ivanhoe Energy trades
on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol IE and on the
NASDAQ Capital Market with the ticker symbol IVAN. For more
information about Ivanhoe Energy Inc. please visit
www.ivanhoeenergy.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This document
includes forward-looking statements, including forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but
are not limited to the potential for commercialization and future
application of the heavy oil upgrading technology and other
technologies, statements relating to the continued advancement of
Ivanhoe Energy's projects, statements relating to the timing and
amount of proceeds of agreed upon and contemplated disposition
transactions, statements relating to anticipated capital
expenditures, statements relating to the timing and success
of regulatory review applications, and other statements which are
not historical facts. When used in this document, the words such as
"could," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may,"
"potential," "should," and similar expressions relating to matters
that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements.
Although Ivanhoe Energy believes that its expectations reflected in
these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements
involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that
actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking
statements. Important factors that could cause actual results
to differ from these forward-looking statements include the
potential that the Company's projects will experience technological
and mechanical problems, new product development will not proceed
as planned, the HTL® technology to upgrade bitumen and
heavy oil may not be commercially viable, geological conditions in
reservoirs may not result in commercial levels of oil and gas
production, the availability of drilling rigs and other support
services, uncertainties about the estimates of reserves, the risk
associated with doing business in foreign countries, environmental
risks, changes in product prices, our ability to raise capital as
and when required, our ability to complete agreed upon and planned
asset dispositions, competition and other risks disclosed in
Ivanhoe Energy's 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR and the Canadian
Securities Commissions on SEDAR.
SOURCE Ivanhoe Energy Inc.