Coming back from Firebag I noticed this guy removing overburdan for the oilsands. Couldnt get any closer with the shot but looks like he can move a bit of material with that bucket. It's hard to imagine the amount of heavy iron working in the Fort Mac area and this is a slow time. The amount of diesel fuel being burned per day by all the players (Syncrude, Shell, Suncor et al) is staggering!
Jackpine?
I dont quite understand what the man is doing. I dont see any trucks, or any other sort of transport options, but I do see piles of muck all around the shovel. Is this a test zone or what?
I was kinda thinking the same thing JTL, but it does look like there is something behind the shovel, though it could just be the wire realer (not the technical term) or a dozer... maybe they had few trucks on a long haul?:beatsme
Yep, that's Jackpine. The shovel is waiting for a truck in that picture. As to the piles around the shovel, I can't think of a reason for them, but there is more than likely a reason, and I'd bet it has something to do with the lack of planning department. Half of our planners couldn't plan their way out of a paper bag, so I would imagine they have the same problem over there. It might have to do with the material being unsuitable for something, or useful for something else, so they are saving it for later. Brian
Jackpine for sure. I guess this is what they mean by playing in the sandbox.
I would agree with Alco that the machine is waiting for a truck, too much material has gone, for there not to be transport of some kind and I cant imagine a conveyor belt under that bucket The piles of spoil I think are the windrow at the limit of his dig, it looks like different heaps to us as we are outside the work area. I also spotted a machine to the rear, could well be a dozer emitting a black puff of coal.
That is awesome!! Not a bad view too