Husky Energy has started commercial steam operations at the 10,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) Rush Lake heavy oil thermal project in Saskatchewan, about eight weeks ahead of schedule, the company said in a news release.

Rush Lake is expected to ramp up to full production in a short time period.

Current production from thermal projects is about 44,000 bbl/d. Including Rush Lake, heavy oil thermal production is expected to add another 34,500 bbl/d over the next 18 months, the release said.

The 10,000 bbl/d Edam East project is scheduled to come onstream in third-quarter 2016. The 3,500 bbl/d Edam West thermal development has been reconfigured to a capacity of 4,500 bbl/d and is set to begin production in fourth-quarter 2016. The 10,000 bbl/d Vawn project is expected to start up fourth-quarter 2016, Husky said in the release.