Railing aggregate

Devon entered into a five-year agreement with Standard General to supply aggregate to the Jackfish and Pike Operating Areas, using rail siding infrastructure and CN Rail to deliver crushed aggregate to Conklin. The initiative aimed to reduce truck traffic on Highway 881, minimize the carbon footprint of long-distance hauling, and decrease land disturbance from searching for aggregate in northeastern Alberta. The plan included coordination of rail delivery and subsequent trucking from the rail siding to operational sites.

Initial rail delivery delays limited the benefits of the program, and by the third year supply issues were resolved but truck traffic on Highway 881 remained due to the final 15 km haul from the siding. Rising costs from Standard General and the development of higher-quality, lower-cost local aggregate made rail delivery financially unfeasible. Devon ultimately cancelled the agreement after four years and returned to local sources, achieving similar traffic levels on the highway but a lower overall carbon footprint.