Attention Business Editors:

OPTI Canada to Present at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Investment Symposium

    TSX: OPC

    CALGARY, June 13 /CNW/ - OPTI Canada Inc. ("OPTI") today announced that
Sid Dykstra, OPTI's Chief Executive Officer, will present an overview of the
Company and its Long Lake Project at the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers (CAPP) Investment Symposium in Calgary, AB.
    The presentation can be viewed online via live webcast on Wednesday,
June 15 at 8:50 a.m. Mountain Time at www.opticanada.com. The webcast will be
located under "Presentations" within the Investors section of the OPTI website
and will be archived for 90 days.

    OPTI Canada Inc. is an independent, Canadian based company, listed on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "OPC". OPTI and its       
joint-venture partner Nexen Inc. are developing the Long Lake integrated oil
sands project in the Athabasca oil sands of Alberta. Long Lake will be the
first oil sands project to utilize OPTI's proprietary OrCrude(TM) upgrading
process.

    About OPTI

    OPTI Canada Inc. is a Calgary, Alberta-based company focused on
developing the fourth and next major integrated oil sands project in Canada,
the $3.5 billion Long Lake Project, in a 50/50 joint venture with Nexen Inc.
The first phase of the Project consists of 72,000 barrels per day (b/d) of
SAGD (steam assisted gravity drainage) oil production integrated with an
upgrading facility, using OPTI's proprietary OrCrude(TM) process and
commercially available hydrocracking and gasification. Through gasification,
this configuration essentially eliminates the exposure to and the need to
purchase natural gas. The Project is expected to produce 58,500 b/d of
products, primarily 39 degrees API premium sweet crude with low sulphur
content, making it a highly desirable refinery feedstock. First steam
injection is scheduled to commence in late 2006 and the upgrader is scheduled
to start up in the third quarter of 2007. OPTI's common shares trade on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol OPC.
    Information about OPTI is available at http://www.opticanada.com.
Additional information regarding the Long Lake Project is available at
http://www.longlake.ca.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain information contained herein, including management's assessment
of OPTI's future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements
that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The
Company believes that the expectations conveyed by the forward-looking
statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date
such forward-looking statements are made. No assurances can be given as to
future results, levels of activity and achievements. Actual results may differ
materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking
statements. Material factors and assumptions relating to the forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, the following: market conditions,
law or government policy, operating conditions and costs, project schedules,
operating performance, demand for oil, gas and related products, price and
exchange rate fluctuations, commercial negotiations or other technical and
economic factors. All forward-looking statements, whether written or oral,
attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly
qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company
assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should
circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Additional
information about risks and uncertainties is contained in OPTI's current
annual information form which is available at www.sedar.com.

For further information: Alison Trollope, Investor Relations Manager, 
(403) 218-4705; OPTI Canada Inc., Suite 2100, 555 - 4th Ave. S.W., Calgary, 
Alberta, Canada, T2P 3E7