A truck driver who delivered drilling mud to a PetroChina-operated site near Fort McMurray says he saw three guards carrying banned assault rifles.
In a text message shared by Alberta independence advocate Jeffrey Rath, the driver said he was escorted to the unloading area and allowed to leave his truck only to untie the load. Site personnel directed the loader, which the driver said is not typical at other locations.
The driver said three armed guards remained in shadowed areas. When he asked his escort about them, he was told they were “with PetroChina” and not to ask further questions.
Citing his military service, the driver identified the firearms as automatic AK-47 assault rifles with what appeared to be at least 30-round magazines.
It is illegal in Canada, including Alberta, for private security at industrial sites to openly carry AK-47-style firearms with large-capacity magazines. The AK-47 and its variants are federally classified as prohibited firearms, banned for private possession and use except in rare, unrelated circumstances.
"The broader story here is that's not at all unusual as to how China operates," Rath told the Westgate Sentinel. "My question for Albertans, is this what we want to turn our oil patch into, a whole bunch of Chinese prison camps in northern Alberta?"
Rath added, "Who the hell in Alberta voted for that?"
Private security guards may carry firearms only under strict licensing regimes, typically limited to handguns or non-restricted shotguns or rifles for specific high-risk roles such as cash transport. Prohibited assault-style rifles are not authorized, and magazine capacities are capped under federal law.
PetroChina Canada, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned PetroChina, operates projects in the Alberta oil sands region, including at MacKay River near Fort McMurray. Private security is used at some remote energy sites, but automatic firearms are tightly regulated under Canadian law.
The driver’s account has not been independently verified, and no official investigation has been reported. PetroChina Canada and the Alberta government did not respond to requests for comment.