Imperial Oil Limited

Project Overview

Imperial Oil Facility Demolition is the major 16-month project we successfully completed at an out-of-service facility within an active oil refinery. This demolition involved dismantling a former lubricants manufacturing plant, which contained several major processing units, such as:

• Vessels, columns, stacks, pipe racks, and piping systems.
• Twenty-nine (29) storage tanks with capacities ranging from 15,000 to 100,000 barrels.

Throughout the project, we followed strict safety and environmental protocols. Moreover, we minimized disruptions and safeguarded refinery operations and the surrounding environment at every stage during the demolition process.

Decommissioning and Preparatory Work

Before beginning demolition, we safely decommissioned all equipment and structures. This work included disconnecting services, removing residual products, and carefully eliminating hazardous materials such as asbestos, mercury, ozone-depleting substances, and PCBs.

Demolition Operations

We executed the demolition using engineered procedures with 45-tonne excavators equipped with specialized attachments and a 117-foot high-reach excavator. When conventional methods were unsuitable due to structure height or proximity to live equipment, we applied mobile crane removal, mechanical lowering, or controlled demolition techniques.

Furthermore, we sorted all materials by waste type and transported them off-site to licensed recycling and disposal facilities, ensuring full compliance with environmental standards throughout the project.

Demolition of Key Structures

One of the major tasks involved demolishing a 301-foot-high brick-lined concrete stack. The structure featured a 24.5-foot base diameter that narrowed to 17 feet at the top. We systematically lowered the stack using specialized demolition equipment, allowing for safe ground-level dismantling.

Preparation and Safety Measures

We installed high-capacity mast climber platforms to ensure safe worker access. A remote-controlled mini-excavator operated externally via cameras removed the interior brick liner. Meanwhile, mini-excavators mounted on climber platforms methodically lowered the outer concrete shell, carefully containing debris throughout the process.

Final Stages and Completion

As the structure was lowered, our crews dismantled the mast climber platforms step-by-step. Finally, high-reach equipment completed the remaining demolition, marking the successful completion of the project.

Learn more about safe demolition practices at the Government of Canada Impact Assessment Agency.