Nexen Inc. announced that for the month of February 2011, production from its Long Lake project averaged approximately 23,100 bbls/d gross (15,000 bbls/d net to Nexen). January production averaged 27,000 bbls/d (17,600 bbls/d net to Nexen).

The production decrease primarily reflects a 10 day maintenance shutdown of one of the hot lime softening units (HLS) along with maintenance on several well pad facilities performed concurrently to reduce impact. These activities reduced steam volumes during the maintenance period. The HLS unit has returned to service and production has ramped up, currently averaging 29,300 bbls/d gross.

Maintenance outages to clean the HLS units are typically completed every 12 months. The unit maintained had been operating 16 months since its last cleaning. Regular maintenance for the other two HLS units is planned for April and August to coincide with annual cogeneration unit maintenance. This will reduce steam capacity by roughly one-third for two week periods. As a result, production is expected to be lower during these months. Production should be restored quickly after completion.
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