FACTBOX: Financial crisis hits global oil investment

(Reuters) - The growing financial crisis and plunging energy prices have forced oil companies to scale back spending and delay projects, with expensive ventures in the Canadian oil sands hardest hit.

Below is a list of projects that have been delayed or scaled back in recent months, as well as other related news.

October 30 - Royal Dutch Shell Plc: delays go-ahead decision for 100,000 barrel a day expansion of its Athabasca oil sands project in Alberta until industry costs moderate. It had been expected after the current 100,000 bpd expansion, which will lift output to 255,000 barrels a day, is finished in 2010.

October 29 - Thai refiner and petrochemical firm IRPC: reviews a $1.5 billion investment plan. Has delayed a refinery expansion to 260,000 barrels a day and cut its run rate by 10,000 bpd to about 160,000-170,000.

October 23 - Suncor Energy: delays construction of oil sands upgrader for C$20.6 billion Voyageur expansion by one year to 2013. Expansion boosts production from Suncor's oil sands operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, to 550,000 bpd from 350,000.

October 23 - Petro-Canada: mulls deferring upgrader for proposed C$21 billion Fort Hills oil sands project to save up to C$10 billion. Move would mean partners build mine and extraction plant and sell as much as 160,000 bpd of raw bitumen into open market, starting in 2011. Decision before year-end.

October 23 - Nexen Inc and Opti Canada: delay decision on second phase of Long Lake oil sands project to some time in 2009. Expansion would double production of synthetic crude to 120,000 barrels a day. First phase cost C$6.1 billion and is now just starting up.

October 22 - Baker Hughes Inc: expects about 200 oil and gas drilling rigs in North America would be idled during the fourth quarter because of the tighter credit markets and the declines in oil and gas prices.

September 25 - Value Creation Group: construction of C$4 billion Heartland upgrader near Edmonton, Alberta, reported halted. First phase would have processed 77,500 barrels a day of bitumen into synthetic crude. Privately held company has regulatory approval for plant with 260,000 bpd capacity.

($1=$1.22 Canadian)

(Reporting by Jeffrey Jones; editing by Rob Wilson)