$5-million Boost for Keyano College

Syncrude today announced a $5-million donation to Keyano College to support expanded program offerings and further growth of educational opportunities in the Wood Buffalo region.“Keyano College plays a leading role in providing post-secondary education for the people of Wood Buffalo and its community amenities enhance the quality of life for our residents,” said Syncrude President and CEO Tom Katinas. “We’re proud to be associated with this institution as it continues to provide new programming for a growing region.”

The funding announcement was made in concert with celebrations marking Syncrude’s 30 years of production from Canada’s oil sands.

Nearly $2 million of the donation is targeted at the Syncrude Aboriginal Trades Preparation Program. The program starts in January 2009 with a total registration of 40 students. Twenty of those students will study at the Fort McMurray campus while the remainder will be able to pursue their education in the region’s outlying communities of Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay, Janvier and Conklin. Graduates will then be able to pursue trades apprenticeship training or other programs geared towards working in the oil sands, including heavy equipment or process operator training.

The remaining $3 million will go towards future capital projects and programs at Keyano.

“Workforce needs in the oil sands are tremendous and will require leading edge training programs, like the ones offered at Keyano,” said Katinas. “These are key to giving people the skills they need to take part in our high-tech industry. As one of the largest employers of Aboriginal people in Canada, we are committed to ensuring the residents of all communities in this region benefit from our operations. This donation is an investment in the future and provides new opportunities to share in industry’s growth.”

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture operated by Syncrude Canada Ltd. and owned by Canadian Oil Sands Limited, ConocoPhillips Oilsands Partnership II, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, and Petro-Canada Oil and Gas.

Trading Symbols for Public Syncrude Joint Venture Owners:

Canadian Oil Sands Trust COS.UN – TSX
ConocoPhillips Oilsands Partnership II
(wholly owned by ConocoPhillips) COP – NYSE
Imperial Oil Resources IMO – TSX/AMEX
Murphy Oil Company Ltd. MUR – NYSE
Nexen Inc. NXY – TSX/NYSE
Petro-Canada PCA – TSX/PCZ – NYSE

For further information:
Mark Kruger at 780-970-6902 or Syncrude’s website at www.syncrude.com