Bantrel posted its first profits in 1988, but it was still in search for larger projects. The late 1980’s and early 1990’s were marked by scarce opportunities in the Canadian energy sector and fierce competition in the EPC sector. In 1989, Husky arrived with a Bi-Provincial upgrader near Lloydminster which gave Bantrel its first real significant opportunity to get involved in a large project. They awarded 120 million dollars worth of EPC work to five different companies, including Bantrel. Bantrel scope included engineering and procurement on hydrotreaters and the Utilities and Offsites of the plant. It was this relationship with Husky that lead to additional work on the Lloydminster Upgrader and the eventual sustaining capital alliance in 2008.
In 1989, Bantrel was awarded the Shell Scotford Upgrader study. It would later prove to be the stepping stone that would lead to Bantrel involvement in other future Shell projects.
In 1990, Bantrel employee count hit 400. In 1991, as things slowed down on the Canadian front, many of our best personnel were made available to Bechtel in support of the massive effort to rebuild Kuwait, following the Gulf war. Before the Kuwait rebuild was finished in 1992, more than 85 Bantrel employees—the largest number of any single Bechtel or Bechtel affiliate office across the world—contributed to the effort.