Our people have earned tremendous acclaim for their innovative solutions, perhaps most widely known for high-profile hydro work around the world. But we’ve always been active in the oil and gas sector, and we are now set to increase our focus and business growth in this prosperous area.

Since forming APEC in 2002, we’ve worked on a wide array of Canadian on-shore oil and gas, thermal power, SAGD, refining and upgrading projects.

Growth opportunities with Optima
On April 21, our parent company Hatch purchased Calgary-based Optima Engineers and Constructors which is currently a 100-person, full-service company working in the oil and gas and petrochemical industries. It is our plan to merge the APEC and Optima organizations over the next few months and, with Optima’s added expertise, we look forward to may new opportunities in oil and gas.

Optima and Hatch already have developed an excellent relationship by working together as a joint venture on several oil and gas assignments over the past number of years. Optima brings into the fold many gas and heavy oil projects including those for local clients such as Apache, Anadarko, Devon, Encana and Husky. The company is also starting a large gas plant project in Iraq and has a number of other international prospects on the horizon which are expected to result in significant growth.

Optima provides the following services: process and detailed engineering, project and construction management, project technical and construction audits, estimating, purchasing, expediting and inspection, CADD drafting and energy management. The company’s positioning statement is “We believe there is a better way.” With that in mind, we have no doubt that our business and philosophical perspectives are well aligned, and that this new relationship will be a fruitful one for all involved.

Ongoing APEC and SGE Acres Projects We are currently involved in ConocoPhillips’ Surmont SAGD development 60 km southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta. The assignment began in January 2004 and is being executed in three phases, with completion expected in late 2012 to bring total production of synthetic crude oil to 232,000 barrels per day. This project was very similar to our work on the Alberta Energy Corporation’s Foster Creek SAGD plant which received a Consulting Engineers of Alberta Award of Excellence in 2002. It is this kind of experience that contributes to our exceptional growth with APEC.		ConocoPhillips' Surmont SAGD development in northern Alberta
Additionally, we are working on the tail gas treating unit and suphur recovery plant for CNRL’s Horizon oil sands project and are executing various assignments for PetroCanada. We are also involved in the off-shore sector, through SGE Acres in Atlantic Canada. The caliber of our off-shore work is exemplified by the award-winning design and construction management of the 3-million barrel capacity Newfoundland Transshipment Terminal. Leading our Oil & Gas business Two key team leaders in Calgary are APEC Vice President Ron Thomas and Optima President Bob McTague. Ron earned his B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from McGill in Montreal and has over 30 years of extensive experience in the thermal power field. He has been responsible for the detailed design of mechanical systems, interdiscipline engineering coordination, and overall project management for coal-fired and gas-fired combined grade power plants. He has worked on EPCM and EPC projects for both large utilities and independent power producers, from conceptual design to contract formulation and detail design through construction and commissioning. He's been an invaluable member of our team since 1999 and is a senior advisor on thermal power projects. Bob is a professional engineer with over 35 years experience in all aspects of engineering and construction project management. He has specialized certificates from Stanford University and the Taylor Instrument School, and has been Lead Lecturer at the University of Calgary’s Construction Management Program since 1985. His extensive oil and gas history includes refineries, various processing and treatment plants, transmission lines, storage terminals, pump stations and oil sands developments. Bob spent 20 years working with Bechtel Corporation on some of the largest projects in North America, and co-founded Optima in 1987 where he has been President ever since. He is recognized throughout North America for his management achievements and offers clients the value of both top-line planning expertise and hands-on input. Looking ahead All these important developments enhance our position as we compete for large-scale energy projects in Alberta and develop an international capability. They will also provide further opportunities for existing staff from both Optima and APEC. I am very confident and excited that, with the combination of our APEC and Optima teams, the tremendous growth we have experienced over the past eighteen months will continue in those to come.   For more information, please contact:
Ron Thomas Vice President, APEC Ltd. Calgary, AB 403-292-0370 rthomas@acres.com Bob McTague President, Optima Engineers and Constructors Inc. Calgary, AB 403-920-3225 mctague@optimaepc.com

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