On December 7, 1999, Shell Canada Ltd. (Shell), Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. (Chevron) and Western Oilsands LP (Western) announced a joint venture agreement and a series of related program agreements pertaining to the new Muskeg River Oilsands Mine, Extraction Plant, Pipeline and Upgrader in Northern Alberta. The $1.8 billion mine and extraction plant are expected to produce 155,000 barrels per calender day of bitumen starting in late 2002 and will be operated by Albian Sands Energy Inc., a new company formed by the joint venture. The Upgrader project, valued at $1.7 billion, is to be constructed next to Shell's existing Scotford Refinery and will use hydrogen addition technology to process the bitumen from the mine into a range of premium, synthetic crude oils. The Upgrader will be operated by Shell.