Find a lubricant partner with a heavy-duty engine oil that can deliver performance and cost savings in some of the most demanding operating conditions.

The climate in the Northwest Territories is typified by long, cold winters when temperatures can plunge to -40°C/°F. Dominion’s Ekati Mine is only accessible year-round by air, except for an ice road that is open for approximately two months each winter.

With a fleet of more than 100 pieces of equipment, ranging from Caterpillar Haul Trucks to Loaders and Dozers, Dominion had two clear requirements of their oil provider:

1. Reduce vehicle downtime due to frequent oil changes
2. Deliver quicker and easier cold start-up in the Arctic conditions of the Northwest Territories

From a day-to-day operational perspective, Dominion needed an engine oil provider that could reduce maintenance costs, simplify lubricant inventory and mitigate the impact on production due to cold-start difficulties.

A strategic partnership based on proof of performance and technical expertise.

Petro-Canada Lubricants' DURON™ line of high performance engine oils have a proven track record of maximizing equipment performance, reducing equipment downtime, increasing productivity and ultimately saving customers money.

Indigenous Partners

Dominion started working with DURON Ultra High Performance 5W-40 oil in 2016, in partnership with Petro-Canada Lubricants' associate and fuel provider, Denesoline Corporation, a northern Indigenous business based locally in Yellowknife.

Demonstrating the capability of the oil was key. The PCL team, comprising both a Technical Service Advisor and Sales Account Manager, were involved right from the start of the project. They worked closely with the Ekati Mine lubricant specialist, maintenance supervisors and reliability engineers to help understand the challenges being faced by Dominion and offer personalized solutions. The PCL team were frequently onsite to attend technical meetings and address any questions or concerns in person.

Over a two-year period, DURON UHP 5W-40 was trialed across the Dominion fleet in addition to a series of value added services, including:

• Oil analysis support
• Technical consultation
• Best practice information sharing

Overall, Petro-Canada Lubricants helped Dominion achieve considerable costs savings on equipment maintenance, in addition to improving fleet reliability during the harsh Arctic winters. By offering an all-season premium performance oil, PCL was also able to optimize Dominion’s lubricant inventory.

• Oil drain intervals in Dominion's heavy hauler vehicles extended by 50% (from 500 hrs to 750 hrs) when using DURON UHP 5W-40.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $210K


• Oil drain intervals in Dominion's diesel-powered, self-propelled top-hammer drill rig with an extra large engine oil reservoir extended by 100% from 500 hrs to 1,000 hrs.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $12K


• Oil drain intervals in Dominions hydraulic shovels extended by 100% from 250 hrs to 500 hrs.


• Oil drain intervals in Dominion's dozers extended from 250 hrs to 500 hrs.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $200K


• Oil drain intervals in Dominion's light duty vehicles and buses extended from an average 187 hrs to 500 hrs or even longer for some specific vehicles.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $300K


• Across Dominion’s five underground articulated trucks, drain intervals extended from 250 hrs to 500 hrs.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $74K


• As a direct result of switching to DURON UHP 5W-40, Dominion realized considerable annual savings, including reduced oil transportation and administrative costs, and improved optimization of warehouse space.
  POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $100K

TOTAL SAVINGS: $900K over 2 years.

As a result of these significant cost savings, maximized vehicle performance and increased productivity, Dominion has switched all equipment to DURON as its heavy-duty high performance engine.