Article content

An oilfield site west of Edmonton had to be closed after thieves took copper wire and caused more than $1 million in damage, police said.

Mounties estimate the thieves made off with about $200,000 worth of copper wire from the Obsidian Energy site near Cynthia, a town about 150 km west of Edmonton, after breaking in at around 3:30 a.m. on July 17.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Thieves shut down oilfield lease site after causing $1-million damage: police Back to video

“Thefts in the oilfield are a serious problem which creates a financial burden to companies who are already struggling in these financial times,” Drayton Valley RCMP Sgt. Erin Matthews said Thursday.

“This is an ongoing issue everywhere and it’s getting worse.”

The suspect truck is described as a two-tone, dark-coloured, older-model Dodge Dakota or Chevrolet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Drayton Valley RCMP at 780-542-4457 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.