Raising truck availability, driving significant production gain with cost savings
Shell Albian Sands launched the Mobile Maintenance Excellence Initiative (MMEI) in partnership with Celerant Consulting, Caterpillar and Finning. The goal of the programme was an ambitious double-digit increase in truck availability. The shovel-and-truck operation at Shell Albian’s Muskeg River Mine runs 24/7, 365 days a year. High truck availability is key to achieving production at or near the mine’s design capacity of 155,000 barrels of bitumen per day.
Driving results
Truck availability increased to 83% and sustained at that level, improving the mine’s production potential.
Operating costs trimmed more than $30M.
Mean time between truck stoppages increased from 42 to 72 hours.
Preventive maintenance completion rate improved from 52% to 100%.
"This is the most successful project at this site in a number of years.”
Vice President of Operations, Oil Sands.