Production from Coker 8-1 was suspended 2 March after two workers were sprayed with bitumen during a valve test.

The workers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A spokeswoman for Canadian Oil Sands, the majority shareholder in the project, said the processing unit will remain shut down while maintenance is being done to clean built-up coke out of the vessel.

There is no word when the 100,000-barrel-per-day coker will resume operations but Canadian Oil Sands said the delay will not affect its production targets for the year.