Montreal had long been Canada's refining center with 8 refineries and large chemical plants in operation at its peak.

According to the New York Times, the government of Canada enabled its crown-corporation PetroCanada to buy the refinery as part of a converted effort to reduce foreign influence on Canadian oil.

A key element of the Government's energy program, announced in October, was the reduction of this ownership so that it would account for only 50 percent of sales by 1990.

A very substantial investment in the Montreal refinery was made to expand the capacity of that facility to approximately 130,000 bpd.

The new company is operated under the Suncor name for its general and trading purposes, and under the Petro-Canada trademark for its refined products and its retail and wholesale network.

According to filings with the Canadian Federal Government, the oil refining sector was responsible for approximately 2.5% of the province's GhG emissions.