Canada's first major LNG export facility is experiencing technical problems as it ramps up production at its liquefied natural gas plant at Kitimat, with one tanker diverting away from the facility.

Giant shovels, driverless trucks and a dog-like robot have all helped Canada's oilsands companies including Imperial Oil and Suncor become some of North America's lowest-cost oil producers, driving down overheads even as the worst inflation in a generation pushed U.S. shale costs up.