B.C. Oil & Gas Report 2014

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Green light for the Northern Gateway project: traversing the long road aheadPrince Rupert LNG terminal proves a hotbed for entrepreneurs

B.C. on the cusp of an upward swing of construction thanks to LNG

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Revision Date: July 4, 2014 12:41 PM

Client: IUOE

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WE BUILD PIPELINES AND PARTNERSHIPS. With over 80 years and

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B.C. Oil & Gas Report • 20146

B.C. Oil & Gas Report 2014is published by:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, ManitobaCanada R3L 0G5

President David Langstaff

ASSoCIAtE PubLIShER Jason Stefanik

Managing editor Shayna Wiwierski [email protected]

Contributing WritersDave CollyerMelanie FrannerLeonard MelmanJillian MitchellYarah S. MoharamCatherine PenningtonJay RobergeConnie ShepherdKathy SmithCindy SoderstromD.A. Sutherland

sales Manager Dayna oulion aCCount rePresentatives brian Gerow Jennifer hebert Mic Paterson Anthony Romeo Colin James trakalo

ProduCtion serviCes provided by S.G. bennett Marketing Services www.sgbennett.com

art direCtor Kathy Cable

layout & design Dana Jensen

advertising art Joel Gunter Sheri Kidd

Cover photo courtesy of the Prince rupert Port authority.

© 2014 DEL Communications Inc.all rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the infor ma tion and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

Publications Mail Agreement #40934510Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0G5Email: [email protected]

Contents

DELCommunications Inc.

bRItISh CoLuMbIA

Oil & Gas Report 2014

Printed in Canada | 09/2014

12 Message from the Premier of B.C., the Honourable Christy Clark

16 Message from the B.C. Minister of Energy and Mines, the Honourable Rich Coleman

18 Message from the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, John Rustad

20 B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint – Preparing our workforce for the future

22 Green light for Northern Gateway Project: Traversing the long road ahead

26 The role of natural gas in reducing global GHG emissions

30 B.C. LNG development offers great potential, but thorny issues remain to be solved

32 Northern Gateway – A path forward with First Nations and Metis communities

34 Drilling in 2014 puts Nexen in great shape for next year in Northeastern B.C.’s Cordova Basin

36 Encana going saline to reduce surface water use

37 Water portal adds to B.C.’s online water information

38 Crafting a bright new future for Canada’s energy exports

40 Fueling the future: Energy Services BC actively advocates province’s service sector

41 Will the China-Russian natural gas deal sink British Columbia’s LNG dreams?

44 Shift. Build. Grow. B.C. on the cusp

48 Housing hiccups: Communities feel the crunch of temporary workers

51 From the ground up: Keeping B.C.’s workers safe

56 A new kind of gold: Prince Rupert LNG terminal proves a hotbed for entrepreneurs

57 Horn River Basin Producers Group: B.C., the U.S. and global context

60 Service rigs and the long-reach well

62 Keystone XL debate rages throughout summer 2014

64 Working in the oil and gas sector in B.C.? Know your responsibilities and your options

66 Preparing for success: Progress and development in the Northern Rockies

68 A broad scope of unconventional hydrocarbon resources to be explored at the 2014 Unconventional Resources Conference – Canada

70 Hydraulic fracturing code of conduct: Industry’s commitment to Canadians

72 Economical and environmentally responsible geochemical method reduces program costs for oil and gas exploration in difficult terrain

74 Paramedics re-shaping emergency care in British Columbia’s oil and gas sector

76 Analytics in the oil and gas industry

78 TOG Systems takes telecommunication reliability to the next level

80 Unmatched in service and support: Canadian Pump & Compressor

82 Mud innovation

84 Landsea Camp Services: Providing your remote accommodation and catering solutions

86 Prior preparation: Alpha Safety Ltd.

88 Flexpipe Systems as a tool in low-impact pipelining

90 Making the Earth move for over 50 years

92 SDI “TILT” desanders range expanded

94 A promising partner for a long-term future: Gas Drive

96 Safely home: Diversified Transportation Ltd.

98 A comprehensive solution for workforce logistics management

100 Soil stabilization - An emerging technology

102 LAE brings robust solutions for transfer of hazardous fluids through innovation

104 For all your needs: Raven Oilfield Rentals

106 Size doesn’t matter to ENTREC

108 British Columbia lift specialists: Full-service lifting solutions

110 First in safety and service: Industrial Scaffold Services LP

111 Van Houtte Coffee services: A unique solution to all your beverage needs

112 For all your testing needs, Peregrine Pressure Testing Ltd. has you covered

112 Communications solutions for the north coast: Coast Mountain Wireless

114 Index to advertisers

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TUMBLER RIDGE

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Northeastern BC’s mostdesirable community

The perfect place...A place for people. A place for business. A place for you to grow.

INVEST INTUMBLER RIDGE

Lasting Impressions

For a copy of our Economic Outlook Summary,Community Profile, or any other info please contact:Economic Development OfficeT: 250.242.4242 | [email protected] | www.investTumblerRidge.ca

Impressive Opportunities• Residential & commercial development needed for growing population.• Demand for multi-family and age-friendly housing.• Land available for estate lots.

Economic Drivers• 9 billion ton met coal deposit discovered.• Innovative long wall mining process.• Two 180mw wind farms operating or under construction.• Ideally situated for the Trans-Canada and Enbridge pipelines, as well as

multiple natural gas projects.

Emerging Industries• Tourism operators wanted to provide outdoor experiences in the

Shangri-La of the Northern Rockies.• Bioenergy – utilizing timber infected by the Mountain Pine

beetle.• Community Forestry – recently approved application is providing

the community with its own forest with an annual allowable cut of 20,000m3.

At Williams Scotsman of Canada, we’re proud of the work we do. Our talented team of experts understands the specific challenges of each unique region of our country because our knowledge and expertise is homegrown. From the harshest, most remote locations, to the heart of major cities and everywhere in between, our design professionals have the local experience necessary to work with you to combine functionality, innovative technology, and intelligent design to satisfy your every need.

Whether your project requires a temporary or permanent facility, for a few workers to several thousand, we can design and customize a modular solution that supports your company goals. Fast, functional, flexible solutions that are as hard working as the country they serve.

• Administrative offices • Washcars and water storage units• Bunkhouses • VIP staff quarters• Kitchen and dining facilities • Conference rooms• Recreation complexes • Command and security centers

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Our commitments to technological innovation, well-trained

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We strive to further our ability to perform for our customers

and push for innovation through technical expertise in the

following areas: fracturing and coiled tubing design and

simulation, advanced lab analysis capabilities, strategic pre-job

planning, pre-frac and post-frac analysis.

Expect us to bring our best today and tomorrow.

“WE’RE BREAKING NEW GROUND…. EVERY DAY”

SERVICE FIRST


Message froM the B.C. PreMierthe Honourable Christy Clark

british Columbia is blessed with a lot of advantages – an educated

population, some of the world’s best tourist destinations, and a

growing economy – but one of the most important is our abun-

dance of natural gas.

british Columbia has been a leader in safe, responsible natural gas

development for more than 50 years, with the most modern regulations

in Canada. but the global demand for energy, specifically the cleanest-

burning non-renewable resource in natural gas, continues to increase,

particularly in the growing economies of Asia.

With an abundant supply, a global reputation as a stable and secure

trading partner, and the shortest North American shipping routes to

Asia, this presents b.C. with a unique opportunity, and our focus is to

build the world’s most competitive jurisdiction for LNG development.

We have ambitious targets for a new LNG industry, with a goal of three

LNG facilities by 2020.

b.C.’s LNG industry is all about creating more opportunities in com-

munities across the province and the country. It’s a legacy we can pass

onto our children and grandchildren.

this opportunity transcends politics. that’s why I have reached across

the table to anyone and everyone who shares our goals of a strong, pros-

perous b.C. and Canada. We’ve hosted two international LNG confer-

ences in Vancouver. I’ve led five international trade missions, led a del-

egation to ottawa to secure agreement on the Canada Job Grant, and

worked with labour and First Nations to ensure british Columbians are

first in line for the jobs that will come. their recommendations played

a key role in launching the Skills for Jobs blueprint, a comprehensive

strategy to re-engineer b.C.’s education and apprenticeship systems.

We are working to ensure students today and tomorrow are ready for

the job market they will enter into, and that they’re equipped with the

right skills to compete and win.

the next few months are crucial. We’re getting closer to final invest-

ment decisions, with PEtRoNAS and Woodfibre LNG agreeing to reach

project development decisions with us by November 30. When the legis-

lature resumes in the fall, we’ll finalize aspects of our LNG policy frame-

work that will provide certainty for proponents as they look to finalize

projects.

While there’s a lot more work to do, we’ve come a long way. this is an

incredible opportunity to build a stronger, more prosperous province

and country – and our focus will not waiver. S

B.C. Oil & Gas Report • 2014 13

The AEU1 series of unit heaters are designed for industrial applications to provide primary or supplementary heating for comfort or freeze protection in areas that are classified as hazardous locations (Gas or Dust atmospheres). AEU1 models are CE Marked and certified to meet ATEX/IECEx/EAC Ex Zone 1 & 2 or Zone 21 & 22 requirements with IP55 & IP65 ratings respectively and a T4 (135°C) temperature code.

The three cabinet sizes (from 5 to 30kW) of AEU1 heaters include our ExCaliber™ high performance liquid-to-air heat-exchanger cores that are available in fourteen 400 Volt, 50 Hz model choices from 5 to 30kW to meet customer specific heat output requirements at supply voltages between 380 V to 440 V and fourteen 480 Volt, 60 Hz models to

accommodate shipping vessels, offshore rigs or other applications requiring 60 Hz.

The rugged and versatile AEU1 heater incorporates a high quality immersion heater, IEC motor connected by cable and cable glands for easy field replacement, a sturdy 2 mm (14 GA) steel cabinet with epoxy/polyester powder coating for corrosion resistance, large control enclosure with an extra port for convenient wiring of an external room thermostat, and enclosure O-rings to minimize moisture ingress. Standard safety features include two temperature high limits and a high-quality pressure relief device.

Hazloc Heaters™ Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Darren Ochosky, stated, “The AEU1 series is the first unit heater of its kind in the world to receive these approvals for Gas

and Dust certifications. This reinforces our dedication to helping our customers grow and prosper by providing leading edge industrial heating products, technical expertise, and outstanding service.” Hazloc Heaters™ is also committed to a high standard of quality and on-time delivery performance.

Hazloc Heaters™ is based in Calgary, AB, Canada. For further information, please contact Darren Ochosky at 1-866-701-Heat (4328) or 403-730-2488 or visit www.HazlocHeaters.com.

The AEU1 series is the first unit heater of its kind in the world to receive the ATEX, IECEx & EAC Ex Gas and Dust certifications.

Hazloc Heaters™, a leading manufacturer of industrial unit heaters for hazardous and severe-duty locations, is pleased to announce the introduction of the AEU1 series of Explosion-Proof Electric Air Heaters certified to ATEX, IECEx & EAC Ex (Customs Union) requirements.

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DAILY SERVICE BETWEEN

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We specialize in assisting and supporting small, medium and large-sized employers in achieving

Recognition Safety Program.

COR Solutions is 100% Western Canadian-owned and operated with many years’ experience in various industries. As safety experts, we provide invaluable

assistance with all of your safety requirements.

Serving all of WESTERN Canada

HAVING A SAFE WORKPLACE DOESN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT

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• ISNetworld® • RAVS® & MSQ™ • ComplyWorks®

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Spend more time working, and less time training.

COR Solutions now provides online safety courses to keep training up to date and remain compliant.

Visit www.corsolutions.ca for more.

Online courses now available

Phone 1-866-530-4267“Your Safety Specialists”

COR Solutions Ltd.

SAFETY – IT DOESN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENTCOR Solutions is a Canadian-owned-and-operated company serving all of Canada. The company is now in its 10th year of assisting vari-ous industries in meeting and exceeding their safety requirements in several key areas. With 25 years in the construction and oil and gas industries, and 10 years in safety consulting, COR Solutions’ ex-perience is key in assisting their clients with all Canadian OHS re-quirements.

The company’s focus is on the four main areas that are essential to their client’s successful operation:

COR/SECORDevelopment of OHS-compliant Canadian HSE Safety Manuals for COR and SECOR requirements to enable clients to achieve and maintain a Certificate of Recognition.

Available in all provinces, this is a service that is also available to American companies who wish to expand operations into Canada, and must comply with Canadian safety legislation.

The company gives guidance on choosing the appropriate certifying partner for pursuing COR and SECOR in any province in Canada. De-pending on the province and industry, companies will become certi-fied through the appropriate certifying partner for their industry. In British Columbia, most construction and oil and gas companies will qualify through Enform or the BC Construction Safety Association (BCCSA).

ISN, COMPLYWORKS, PICS, CQN COMPLIANCE Assisting clients with contractor registries, such as ISNetworld®, Complyworks, PICS Auditing and CQN.

Another service we offer is assistance with gaining membership in contractor registries like ISNetworld®, ComplyWorks, PICS Auditing, and CQN (CanQual). With our expert staff we can complete initial data input for companies, and they offer monthly packages to main-tain and monitor your account, ensuring a top level of compliance, which enables your company to perform services for owner/clients without interruption and seamlessly.

They also supply ISNetworld® RAVS®, T-RAVS® and training modules based on company safe operating practices.

ONLINE SAFETY TRAININGOnline safety training courses save travel time and expenses.

Although legislative compliance is a motivator for getting personnel trained, organizations that invest in safety training can benefit from increased job satisfaction of their personnel, improved productivity, lower accident frequency, increased retention, and a stronger over-all safety culture within the organization.

COR Solutions offers over 130 online safety training courses through our website, with a portal on the homepage. Learners print off a certificate upon successful completion of every course.

Many of these courses meet the requirements for specific safety training that are asked for in a COR/SECOR audit, such as PPE train-ing and fire extinguisher training, very helpful in passing a safety audit.

The contractor registries (ISN®, Complyworks etc.) have question-naires that also ask for records of specific training, and many of the courses required to meet these requirements are also available through their online training portal on the website.

The certificates that company personnel achieve after having passed online courses can be uploaded to meet T-RAVS® require-ments in ISN® and questionnaire requirements in contractor regis-try subscriptions.

There are also many courses targeting the trucking industry and their particular regulatory compliance requirements.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTSAnother service offered is development of company-specific safe procedures, such as journey management, industrial hygiene, fa-tigue management, ergonomics, PPE, or any other sections for your HSE safety manual, and/or help with completion of master service agreements or pre-qualification questionnaires.Also available is their service to develop formal hazard assess-ments to complement any company safety manual/plan. All certi-

fying partners for the Certificate of Recognition Program are now insisting on having formal hazard assessments included in all com-pany’s safety manuals.

COR Solutions is a Better Business Bureau member.

Assistance with the following Contractor Registries:

©

Initial Data Input • Uploading of Required DocumentationMonthly Monitoring/Maintenance Packages


Message froM B.C. Minister of natural gas developMent and deputy preMierThe Honourable Rich Coleman

British Columbia’s natural gas and oil sector is a pillar of the province and we

now have a generational opportunity to build a liquefied natural gas indus-

try, create jobs and secure economic stability for communities across B.C.

The province is poised to be a player in the global LNG market. A long history

of safe, responsible natural gas development makes B.C. a reliable place to invest

and conduct business. In addition to a low overall tax burden and a competitive

royalty regime, B.C. has a vast supply of natural gas located fairly close to proposed

facilities; a skilled workforce; robust infrastructure; political and economic stabil-

ity; relatively short transport times to key Asia markets; and a cooler coastal tem-

perature that saves energy and costs during the liquefaction process.

Our government is pursuing LNG vigorously because it will create jobs and new

economic opportunities. We will create lasting, responsible economic develop-

ment, and are working hard to build an entirely new industry in our province.

Global investors and major companies have come forward with multiple project

proposals. This will bring thousands of new jobs to our province and we want Brit-

ish Columbians to have the opportunity to fill those openings.

Recent analysis shows that if five plants are constructed in B.C. between 2015 and

2024, the LNG sector will need to fill 100,000 jobs, including more than 58,000

construction jobs. We’ve released the Skills for Jobs Blueprint, a targeted plan to

re-engineer B.C.’s education and training system to be ready to meet this demand.

We know there will be increased demand for natural gas-related occupations.

For example, we know we will need 1,800 more welders, 2,900 more steamfitters

and pipefitters, and 10,500 more construction labourers. Most of these jobs will be

in the North – either through upstream development in the Northeast or in LNG

export facilities in the Northwest.

Many of these job opportunities are taking shape now, and we are ready to take

advantage of these opportunities by putting a plan in place to train people with the

skills they need.

In May 2014, we hosted the second international LNG in B.C. conference, one

of the largest events of its kind this government has ever hosted. The conference

was a sold-out success with over 1,400 delegates attending the three-day showcase.

Provincial government officials, local communities, First Nations leaders, academ-

ics and local communities participated in 14 engaging panel sessions focused on

furthering B.C.’s LNG growth. It clearly demonstrates our commitment to build an

LNG industry and the interest and enthusiasm from participants shows we are on

the right track.

We look forward to hosting another successful conference October 14-16, 2015.

This is all possible as a result of the growth and success of our province’s oil and

gas sector.

Please see http://www.gov.bc.ca/mngd/doc/LNG101.pdf for more information

on LNG in B.C. and visit www.workbc.ca for more details about the Skills and Jobs

Blueprint. S

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 250-787-8664

Box 6622, Fort St. John, BC v1j 4j1

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As british Columbia’s Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Rec-

onciliation, and as a lifelong resident of northern b.C., I un-

derstand the tremendous opportunity for economic growth

currently facing northern communities. this includes the chance to

transform Aboriginal communities and change the lives of First Nations

communities.

In order to bring about that positive change, we need to continue

to build and maintain respectful relationships and find ways to work

together more collaboratively. b.C.’s First Nations need to be full par-

ticipants in the economic opportunities, and their environmental values

should be considered.

Liquefied natural gas presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ac-

complish this generational change for all british Columbians – for both

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

our government is committed to achieving arrangements that pro-

vide First Nations with tools to participate and benefit from LNG.

We’re well on our way with negotiating and achieving these agree-

ments.

In the Peace region of our province, we already have economic benefit

agreements that share provincial gas revenues with treaty 8 First Na-

tions. We’re looking to update these agreements to reflect the growth of

the LNG industry.

Along the mid-stream, we have an agreement providing $32 million

to 15 First Nations along the Pacific trails Pipeline route.

Downstream, we have agreements with the Lax Kw’alaams and Met-

lakatla First Nations to share a portion of provincial government reve-

nues from sole proponent agreements related to the Grassy Point lands.

but we understand that LNG is not just about economic opportuni-

ties. For First Nations, and all british Columbians, it is important that

we also have long-term environmental benefits from LNG development.

It’s because of this that I recently announced our new LNG Environ-

mental Stewardship Initiative, where First Nations, the Province and

industry will work together on key environmental priorities. the LNG

ESI will build a focal point for collaboration between natural gas propo-

nents, First Nations and government, and will bring stewardship initia-

tives that create a lasting legacy.

over the coming few months, we will be engaging with First Nations

and proponents to design the LNG Environmental Stewardship Initia-

tive.

And I believe that’s the best way forward: collaboration, respect and

listening.

A key part of my role as minister is to make sure First Nations partici-

pate in, and benefit from b.C.’s LNG opportunity. S

Message froM Minister of aBoriginal relations and reConCiliationJohn rustad

Industrial Scaffold Services

Western Canada’s leading provider of scaffold and associated services


british Columbia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector

is taking shape and we have a plan to make sure our

province is ready for this once-in-a-generation oppor-

tunity. It isn’t every day that you get to create a brand-new

industry, and the potential of LNG for our province cannot

be overstated.

We released the bC Jobs Plan in 2011 with a commitment to

build a liquefied natural gas sector in our province. Already,

there are 13 project proposals on the table, nine of which

have already received approved export licences from Canada’s

National Energy board.

We are projecting 100,000 new jobs if five plants become

fully operational. these will be high-paying jobs with steady

work in a growing industry. And we are clear that we want

british Columbians to be first in line for jobs.

that’s why this spring we released the b.C. Skills for Jobs

blueprint. We’re re-engineering our education system – from

kindergarten straight through to post-secondary training –

ensuring apprenticeships, education and training are in line

with the growing demands of the LNG industry.

Partnerships with industry and labour are the foundation for

building the skills necessary to get the LNG sector the workers

it needs to start exporting LNG.

our government currently invests more than $7.6 billion

annually in education and training. We’re doing that because

the labour market in 2018 will look very different than today.

We’ll need more welders, steamfitters, pipefitters, trades la-

bourers and skilled technicians.

one of the key objectives of the Skills for Jobs blueprint

is to prepare british Columbians for these new high-paying

jobs in the resource sector. over the next three years, our gov-

ernment will invest $185 million in trades and skills infra-

structure and equipment projects, including the new Centre

for trades Education and Innovation at Camosun College in

Victoria. We want to make it easier for b.C. families and stu-

dents to make the best possible career choices in a changing

economy.

Many LNG sector jobs will be in found near small commu-

nities in the North. Participation of aboriginal people is criti-

cal to the success of these LNG projects, and to our province

as a whole. We’re helping more than 2,300 aboriginal people

get access to trades training and apprenticeship programs.

With our access to the Asian market, b.C. is in position to

become the most competitive jurisdiction in the world for

LNG, building a sustainable industry with a legacy of high-

paying, highly skilled jobs. the LNG industry could be the

biggest energy development this province has ever seen.

the premier’s LNG working group consulted with 18 key

representatives from government, industry and labour to de-

termine what the province needs to do to prepare for the LNG

sector. LNG companies are making final investment decisions

and they need to know we will be ready.

there is work to be done ahead, but the momentum for

LNG is building and we think we are on track. We’re trying to

build a brand-new industry in LNG that will transform our

province’s economy and wellbeing. the tax revenues will help

to pay off the debt for our kids and continue keeping our taxes

low. We think the best way to be prepared for the LNG sector

needs of the future is by following the carefully planned steps

outlined in our comprehensive Skills for Jobs blueprint.

For more information on the bC Jobs Plan, please visit

www.bcjobsplan.ca. For more information on b.C.’s skills

for Jobs blueprint, visit www.workbc.ca/skills. S

B.C.’s skills for JoBs BluePrint – PreParingour workforCefor the future

by Hon. shirley bond, Minister of Jobs, tourism, skills training and Minister responsible for labour

one of the key objectives of the skills for Jobs blueprint is to prepare british Columbians for these new high-paying

jobs in the resource sector.

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the federal government of Canada may have given the

go-ahead on the $6.5 million Northern Gateway pipe-

line project but there is still a long way to go before

the province could realize the potential $1.2 billion in tax

revenue and $4.3 billion in labour-related income anticipated

over the next 30 years.

the project itself has been a long time in the making and

the recent governmental green light comes with 209 condi-

tions from the federally appointed Joint Review Panel (JRP).

there are also five conditions from the b.C. government. to-

gether, the conditions point to the passing of even more time

before the project gets off the ground.

“today’s decision gives us greater confidence in developing

a world-class project. however, we don’t see this decision as

the final step – rather, it’s one more step in the process,” said

Al Monaco, president and CEo of Enbridge Inc., in an offi-

cial press release after the federal government’s June 17th an-

nouncement. “this is a process that requires a considered and

respectful approach, and one that takes time to do it right.”

A pipeline in the making the pipeline project officially began on May 27, 2010 when

the Northern Gateway Pipelines Limited Partnership filed an

application with the National Energy board to construct and

operate a 1,170-kilometre twin pipeline that would carry up

to 525,000 barrels of crude oil per day and up to 193,000

barrels of condensate per day between bruderheim, Alta., and

Kitimat, b.C. the project also consists of a marine terminal at

the port of Kitimat, which would include two ship berths and

19 tanks for oil and condensate. the forecast suggests that the

terminal would serve 220 ships per year.

According to information from Enbridge, 70 per cent of the

proposed pipeline route would use previously disturbed land.

the economic benefits from the project are suggested to in-

clude: some $300 billion in GDP over the next years; $300

million in employment and contracts for aboriginal commu-

nities and businesses; $4.3 billion in labour-related income

across Canada during the construction of the twin pipeline;

$2.6 billion in local, provincial and federal government tax

revenues; and 1,150 long-term jobs throughout the Canadian

economy (of which 560 are projected to be in b.C.).

the Northern Gateway project has been met with both

strong support and strong opposition all across the country.

Industry on side the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)

is one of the organizations on side with the Northern Gate-

way Project. on June 17th, CAPP issued a press release stat-

ing that the federal government’s decision on the Northern

Gateway project is “positive for Canada’s oil and gas industry,

british Columbians and all Canadians because the safe, re-

sponsible construction and operation of the pipeline would

allow Canada to benefit economically from increased crude

oil exports to growing global markets”.

“this is a key milestone for the process of getting access to

offshore markets,” explains CAPP vice-president Stringham.

“the government’s decision to give the go-ahead on this proj-

ect, while stipulating that Enbridge fulfill the JRP’s 209 condi-

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tions, supports Canadian prosperity while protect-

ing people and the environment.”

Stringham went on to state that more than 100

of those conditions will need to be met before any

construction could take place.

“It has now become an industry issue where we

will see how well Enbridge can properly fulfill the

100-plus conditions,” adds Stringham. “the Na-

tional Energy board has not set a time limit, but

Enbridge itself has said that it will take between

12 to 15 months to fulfill those conditions but

want to get it right. how and when they do it will

set the stage on how soon they can move into the

construction stage.”

other supporters of the project include a

group of prominent Canadians, among them

the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan, for-

mer federal cabinet ministers and provincial

premiers, and influential business and com-

munity leaders.

All on board the other side to the Northern Gateway

Pipeline project is also well represented.

Despite the fact that Enbridge has announced


the signing of 26 equity partnerships with aboriginal commu-

nities (which it suggests represents more than 60 per cent of

the aboriginal population along the proposed right-of-way),

opposition from other First Nation groups remains.

According to a June 16, 2014 announcement from b.C.’s

West Coast Environmental Law, an organization dedicated to

safeguarding the environment through law, there is strong op-

position to the project from many groups, including Coastal

First Nations (a coalition of First Nation groups), Dogwood

Initiative (a b.C. non-profit group), unifor (Canada’s largest

private-sector union) and one Cowhichan (a private citizen

group).

[of note, Minister Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Nat-

ural Resources for the Federal Economic Development Initia-

tive for Northern ontario, announced in May of this year the

creation of a major projects management office west, which

opened in June, and a tripartite forum, which has yet to be

announced. both measures are designed to help strengthen

engagement with First Nations and involve them in energy

infrastructure development in Canada.]

b.C. residents aren’t 100 per cent sold on the project either.

West Coast Environmental Law points to survey results that

indicate the majority of british Columbians support legisla-

tion in line with the First Nations ban.

“Polls consistently show two-thirds of b.C. voters agree the

North Coast is no place for oil tankers,” noted a West Coast

Environmental Law press release.

Residents of Kitimat are also torn over the decision.

“our community is almost evenly divided over the issue,”

states Kitimat Mayor Joanne Monaghan, who adds that a re-

cently held plebiscite showed a 12-to-15 per cent sway be-

tween the nays and the naysayers. “I wrote letters to the pre-

mier and the prime minister. At this point, as a council, we

have decided that we are going to hold Enbridge’s ‘feet to the

fire’, which means we’re going to make sure they fulfill all 209

conditions and the five b.C. government conditions. We’re go-

ing to make sure that they’re doing what they need to do.”

A time to reflect

the years that it has taken to get the Northern Gateway Pipe-

line project to the point where it is today has provided ample

time to make this a very public and controversial project in

the media spotlight. Regardless of the number of people and

groups for and against the project, it is now up to Enbridge

to meet the conditions set out by the JRP. If and when it can

manage to do that, Canadians will be but one step closer to

the realization of a significant project that may forever change

the face of the Canadian oil export market. S

greg stringham, vice-president of CaPP.Kitimat Mayor Joanne Monaghan.


A realistic approach to meaningful reductions in global

greenhouse gas emissions is to gradually shift the ener-

gy mix in countries that emit a large part of the world’s

carbon emissions to less GhG-intensive fuel sources.

this can be particularly effective in developing countries,

whose Co2 emissions are surpassing those of developing coun-

tries and are growing at a faster rate.

Natural gas is ideally suited for this purpose: it is the cleanest-

burning hydrocarbon, and it produces electricity more efficient-

ly than coal and more reliably than intermittent energy sources

such as wind and solar. For example, due to wider use of natural

gas in the united States, Co2 emissions are stable or declining.

China, which primarily relies on coal for electricity generation,

outstripped the u.S. as the world’s largest Co2 emitter in 2007,

with emissions rising an average 2.1 per cent a year, according

to the u.S. EIA.

british Columbia, because of its abundant natural gas re-

sources and proximity to Asia, is in a good position to become

a supplier of responsibly produced natural gas to Asian mar-

kets. Realizing this vision requires that b.C. take a pragmatic ap-

proach to economic growth and environmental performance.

Let’s start with a global reality check.

Global demand for all forms of energy, including renewables,

is growing rapidly. hydrocarbons, however, will continue to be

the dominant source of supply for the world’s energy needs.

the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that in 2035,

hydrocarbons’ share in the global energy mix will be 76 per

cent, down only slightly from current levels.

that same IEA forecast projects global demand of natural gas

will increase 48 per cent by 2035, driven primarily by countries

such as China as their economies grow and standards of liv-

ing improve. our collective challenge, therefore, is to determine

the role of natural gas in reduCing gloBal ghg eMissions by dave Collyer

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how we will help meet this global demand and, at the same

time, seek to reduce greenhouse gas intensity of natural gas pro-

duction, transportation and use.

Western Canada, especially b.C., has vast natural gas reserves

– enough to both satisfy domestic demand and help meet

growing global demand.

this is an opportunity for b.C. to provide a global net benefit

from an environmental perspective by helping to displace more

carbon-intensive fuel sources for power generation in rapidly

growing nations in Asia.

Natural gas, used in power generation, emits about 50 per

cent fewer greenhouse gases than coal and far fewer smog-caus-

ing air pollutants. China is suffering from significant air-quality

issues caused in large part by the use of coal for heat and power

generation.

this is why the Chinese government is trying to reduce its

reliance on coal and has prioritized the use of natural gas-fired

power plants. As a result, Chinese natural gas demand is in-

creasing rapidly.

Natural gas from Canada and other sources will help China

and other Asian economies reduce their reliance on coal for in-

dustrial and residential power generation, and in aggregate will

lower global GhG emissions and provide air-quality benefits.

the opportunity to export natural gas to Asia exists now, as

customers are trying to secure long-term contracts from reliable

suppliers. to participate in the increasingly competitive global

LNG market, we must be cost-competitive and ensure we de-

velop LNG and supporting natural gas reserves responsibly.

Industry broadly agrees with the goal of competing on a

GhG-intensity basis with other natural gas suppliers to the

Asian market. Doing so will require industry to focus on im-

provements in GhG intensity across the full value chain: up-

stream production, transportation and downstream liquefac-

tion.

b.C. and Alberta regulate flaring, venting and fugitive emis-

sions from upstream facilities. For example, venting of methane

from well drilling and completions is not permitted in b.C. or

Alberta, and leak detection and repair programs are a regulated

requirement in both provinces. these regulations serve as mod-

els for other jurisdictions as examples of how to do it right.

Further electrification of upstream production facilities also has

the potential to mitigate growth in GhG emissions.

In addition, industry and the governments of Alberta and

b.C. are looking at the feasibility of carbon capture and storage

to further reduce emissions from the sector.

We must also be pragmatic about fuel sources for b.C.’s pro-

posed LNG facilities. Wind and solar are unlikely to have either

the scale or reliability to provide base-load power for most facil-

ities, and the availability of competitively priced electric power

for facilities in northwestern b.C. is by no means assured.

For those reasons, we believe the b.C. government made the

right decision when it authorized the use of natural gas for pow-

er generation for LNG facilities.

West Coast LNG facilities would also be the only LNG fa-

cilities in North America that are subject to a carbon tax. We

encourage the b.C. government to invest a portion of this tax

in innovation and technology development to further reduce

carbon emissions in the LNG sector.

We must always keep a close eye on the overall competitive-

ness of the industry in b.C., including GhG emissions intensity.

At the same time, we need to think beyond the borders of b.C.

and recognize the opportunity to use natural gas globally to

reduce GhG emissions and improve air quality.

LNG is a global industry and british Columbians should as-

sess the economic and environmental dimensions of the LNG

opportunity in a global competitiveness and environmental

performance context. this will largely determine the ultimate

success of the LNG industry in b.C. and is a reasonable and

pragmatic approach to global leadership.

dave Collyer is the president and Ceo of the Canadian associa-

tion of Petroleum Producers (CaPP). S

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Seldom has any issue divided

british Columbians to the extent

of the entire Liquefied Natural

Gas (LNG) controversy. As the year

2014 has progressed, two distinct sides

have emerged.

one side has consistently advocated

in favour of the enormous economic

benefits which might accrue from LNG

development. In fact, Premier Christy

Clark made social gains from poten-

tial revenues from LNG production

and distribution one of the central

planks of her re-election campaign of

2013. According to one study by the

b.C. Ministry of Mines, Energy and

Natural Gas conducted during 2013,

potential revenues to the Government

of british Columbia could amount to

between $130 billion and $180 dur-

ing a 20-year production period from

2018-2038. Aside from government

revenues, economists also pointed to

significant job creation and other eco-

nomic benefits down the road.

As international industrial produc-

tion combined with advanced urban-

ization and infrastructure expansion

has progressed, so also has the demand

been growing for all forms of energy.

this situation is particularly acute in

Asia where energy demands are rising

most rapidly, but where there are few

natural sources of fossil fuels, particu-

larly including natural gas.

unfortunately, this has led to anoth-

er difficulty: most sources of natural

gas are located in regions far removed

from Asian markets, making pipeline

transportation virtually impossible,

except for potential Russian sources

which might eventually use pipelines

to reach Asian markets. this leaves

liquefaction of natural gas from abun-

dant other sources for subsequent

transshipment to high-demand areas

as one of the remaining workable so-

lutions.

As it applies to british Columbia,

natural gas would have to be transport-

ed to terminal facilities where it would

be converted into liquefied form and

loaded onto ocean transport vessels

for shipment to Asian markets, where

it would be re-constituted back into its

original form.

the other side includes powerful op-

position forces pointing out a litany

of possible environmental, safety, and

aboriginal difficulties which they pre-

dict would accompany the proposed

projects if they are ever undertaken.

Environmentalist groups have de-

manded further environmental studies

on several subjects including potential

spills from the many hundreds of ves-

sels expected to ply the waters off the

central and northern b.C. coasts if full

production goals are reached. they

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also point to the potential damage to

marine life due to increased usage of

seawater in the LNG production pro-

cess, which would alter the balance of

sensitive marine ecosystems. In addi-

tion, concerns have been raised about

degradation of air quality due to pos-

sible leakage of condensed LNG into

the atmosphere.

Several important safety concerns re-

lating to the volatility of LNG once it

has been loaded onto ocean-going ves-

sels have also been advanced. Fears of

major explosions have led to the sug-

gestion of safety “buffer zones” sepa-

rating LNG shipping from other con-

ventional uses of b.C. waterways.

First Nations concerns have centered

to date on possible environmental

threats to their special way of life, as

well as proper consultation through-

out public hearings regarding the ap-

proval and permitting processes.

Five projects are now at various

stages of pre-development, including

Woodfibre Natural Gas Ltd.’s “Wood-

fibre LNG Project” near Squamish,

b.C.; Malaysia-based Petronas’ “Pacific

Northwest LNG” near Prince Rupert;

Shell-Canada Energy-led “LNG Can-

ada” project near Kitimat; bG Group

PLC’s “Prince Rupert LNG” project,

and the “Kitimat LNG” project, co-

owned by the Canadian units of Chev-

ron and Apache corporations.

Given the important nature of these

ongoing concerns and the important

economic potential of LNG develop-

ment, the province has sponsored a

series of conferences bringing together

participants representing potential

production project developers, aborig-

inal and environmental leaders, plus

government representatives. the first

such conference took place in 2013

and the second occurred in Vancouver

from May 21-23, 2014. A third and fi-

nal one is presently scheduled for Van-

couver in october 2015.

Economic discussions were a feature

of the second conference. Major topics

included the total potential worldwide

market for LNG, growing international

competition to satisfy that market, and

special attention was paid to the an-

nouncement – probably timed for the

conference – of Russia’s major supply

deal with China, which many partici-

pants believed could be a devastating

blow to british Columbia’s plans for

LNG participation, a position with

which the premier strongly disagreed.

According to the International En-

ergy Agency, demand for LNG is ex-

pected to grow by an average of about

seven per cent per year from a pres-

ent 300 million tonnes LNG per year

in 2014 to an estimated 500 million

tonnes by 2030. the biggest question

is who will supply that demand and

Canada is hardly the only participant

seeking markets within that projected

growth. other countries active in the

field include the uSA, Australia, Mo-

zambique, tanzania and Russia, and

several of those nations enjoy closer

proximity to giant Asian markets than

Canada.

Strangely enough, it was the ten-

sions brought about by the Russian

incursion into the Crimean in April

2014 that brought about the mam-

moth Russia-China Natural Gas deal

announced on May 21, 2014. As Rus-

sia faced reprisals by several Europe-

an nations for those incursions, they

quickly sought out alternative markets

for their abundant natural gas reserves

and the China deal was a direct result.

According to that transaction, Russia

will transport 38 billion cubic metres

of Siberian gas per year via pipeline

– a much more safe and cost-efficient

method than trans-oceanic shipment

of LNG – beginning in 2018 and last-

ing for 30 years.

the deal threatens to undercut de-

mand for North American LNG and

also threatens the price structure which

would have supported the planned

North American production opera-

tions.

In summary, LNG development

could be of vital importance to british

Columbia’s economic future, but sev-

eral important questions have yet to be

resolved as of early summer 2014. S


the role First Nations and Metis

communities must play in im-

portant decisions about natural

resource development and economic in-

frastructure is central to an ongoing dis-

cussion about the future of our country.

the recent Supreme Court decision in

the tsilhqot’in case brought this discus-

sion into even sharper focus by reaffirm-

ing through a declaration of aboriginal

title, the requirement for government

and resource companies to engage in

meaningful consultation, and to foster

long-term and mutually beneficial rela-

tionships with aboriginal communities.

Much of the discussion generated

from the decision is focused on whether,

and to what degree, proposed resource

development projects now might be in

jeopardy. And these are valid questions

and concerns, but from my perspective,

sustainable and environmentally sound

development can best occur through

true partnerships with aboriginal com-

munities.

I think it is important to understand

what is at the heart of this discussion –

a concern that aboriginal communities

will use title to block development. As

a Metis woman working in the resource

sector, I have long understood that ab-

original communities do not want to

block development as a matter of prin-

ciple.

Rather, First Nation and Metis com-

munities want a say in what happens

in, and what directly effects, their com-

munities. they want to know projects

are environmentally sound. And they

rightfully want a share of the economic

benefits.

For industry, this means taking a pro-

foundly different approach than has

been taken in the past. As the lead of

community benefits and sustainability

at Northern Gateway Pipelines, I am al-

ready seeing this kind of relationship-

building at work.

Northern Gateway understands the

critical role aboriginal communities play

in the success of our project. We strongly

believe in the power of respectful discus-

sion – that legislation and court rulings

should absolutely be the last refuge of

negotiation.

A priority for Northern Gateway is to

build lasting partnerships with First Na-

tions and aboriginal communities along

the proposed pipeline route.

Yes, there have been mistakes along

the way. And our work is far from fin-

ished. but we have made lasting and

meaningful progress. Years of mean-

ingful discussion and hard work have

resulted in one of the energy sector’s

most comprehensive benefit packages in

Canadian history. Northern Gateway’s

unique approach offers First Nations

and aboriginal communities ownership

in a major Canadian energy project. We

have gone further than consultation by

seeking partnerships with First Nations

communities as owners giving them

seats of influence to fully participate in

decisions relating to the project. our

project is a new way of doing business

and will set a precedent across Canada

for collaborative partnerships between

First Nations and Metis communities,

and the resource industry.

the community is the expert, and as

the stewards of their own futures, com-

munities know the challenges they

face and how to meet them better than

anyone else. As owners of this project,

Northern Gateway will bring long-term

financial dividends, jobs, economic de-

velopment opportunities, community

development, and educational opportu-

nities to aboriginal equity partner com-

munities. As well, First Nations and ab-

original communities will have a direct

role in the environmental protection of

lands along the right of way and in ma-

rine operations.

For example, as a result of our unique

approach we have been actively provid-

ing skills training to more than 2,000

people – many of them aboriginal even

before a shovel has even been put into

the ground. Aboriginal-owned busi-

nesses are applying in strong numbers

for construction and service contracts.

And critical resources are being directed

to programs and services that can make

a real and lasting difference.

the Supreme Court of Canada’s deci-

sion in the tsilhqot’in case recognized

title in law but really underscored what

Northern Gateway has come to under-

stand in practice: In today’s Canada,

both government and industry have a

higher economic and social responsibil-

ity to the communities we work in and

serve.

At Northern Gateway, we accept and

recognize the rights of First Nations and

aboriginal peoples. We recognize we

have much more to do with First Na-

tions and aboriginal communities. We

have learned we must be open to change.

this process cannot be forced and we

will take as much time as is needed.

We share a deep belief that Northern

Gateway will provide a positive eco-

nomic impact for aboriginal peoples for

generations to come, while safeguarding

the environment. We look forward to

continuing our work with these commu-

nities on our shared hopes for a better,

more prosperous future.

Catherine Pennington is the senior man-

ager of community benefits and sustain-

ability for northern gateway. she lives and

works in Prince george, british Columbia. S

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Nexen – a CNooC Limited com-

pany – and our joint-venture

partner INPEX Gas british Co-

lumbia Ltd., have wrapped up a highly

successful drilling season in the Cordova

basin in northeastern british Columbia.

With no injuries, environmental incidents

or regulatory compliance issues, the proj-

ect – a three-well pad – was a huge success.

the project began with the moving

of a Nabors rig to Cordova from Dilly

Creek in early January 2014. Drilling set

a new record for Cordova/Dilly Creek

wells. once the drilling team completed

their tasks, the completions team took

over. All work was finished before the

end of March 2014. It was critical to keep

to the schedule – or beat it – due to Cor-

dova’s swampy conditions in non-winter

seasons.

“the work done this winter puts us

in great shape for next year,” says bruce

Garland, Nexen’s manager, drilling &

completions shale gas. “Completions

will come in next winter and execute

operations of their own to gain valuable

reservoir information so that we can fur-

ther understand the potential of the Cor-

dova basin.

“We’re really proud of the Cordova

team. they ticked off all the boxes, espe-

cially in safety, environment and regula-

tory categories.”

Cordova is adjacent to the horn Riv-

er basin – one of the most prospec-

tive shale gas fields in North America

– where Nexen began acquiring large

blocks of high-quality acreage in 2006.

In 2010, Nexen purchased more land in

the nearby Cordova and Liard basins,

bringing its total land position to ap-

proximately 300,000 acres growth.

the calibre of Nexen’s resource base

and operating expertise were under-

scored by the joint-venture agreement

announced in 2011 with a consortium

led by INPEX Corporation of Japan.

third-party evaluators have estimated

that Nexen’s joint-venture lands in the

horn River and Cordova basins hold be-

tween four trillion and 15-trillion cubic

feet of recoverable contingent resources,

and the Liard joint-venture lands con-

tain an estimated five to 23 trillion cubic

feet of prospective resources. S

drilling in 2014 Puts nexen ingreat shaPe for next year innortheastern B.C.’s Cordova Basinnexen’s drilling team finishes ahead of schedule with no Hse&sr incidents

We’re really proud of the Cordova team. they ticked off all the boxes, especially in safety, environment and regulatory categories.

nexen’s Cordova drilling team completes a three-well pad with no injuries, environmental incidents or regulatory compliance issues.

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As Encana increases its level of development in the

Dawson Creek region, responsible water use and

sourcing are critical components for the company to

fully realize the potential of british Columbia’s portion of

the Montney resource play.

Water management approaches tailored for specific oper-

ating areas have long been at the heart of Encana’s steward-

ship philosophy and reflect an enterprise-wide mandate of

continuous improvement. to this end, the company seeks

innovative solutions and technologies to decrease its reli-

ance on surface water sources wherever possible.

this commitment has taken on different forms through-

out Encana’s operations; namely through, where feasible,

such approaches as reuse, accessing wastewater, and tapping

into saline sources that are unfit for typical human or agri-

cultural use.

the latter option informs the company’s Water Resource

hub (WRh) facility located in the Cutbank Ridge area of

Encana’s Montney operations. Scheduled to be completed

by the end of 2014, the WRh is expected to meet 50 to 75 per

cent of Encana’s water needs in the Dawson Creek area – sig-

nificantly reducing the company’s reliance on surface water

by replacing it with otherwise unusable water from a subsur-

face aquifer. In doing so, the project’s unique distribution

and return system will also substantially reduce water haul-

ing truck traffic and associated emissions, noise, and dust.

“Water is a critical component of natural gas production

and crucial for the continued success of our industry, both

the upstream sector and the many jobs it provides, as well

as for b.C. to realize its LNG export potential,” says Richard

Dunn, Encana’s vice-president, government relations Cana-

da. “A facility such as the Water Resource hub demonstrates

our commitment to always seeking alternative sources to

surface water for our operations.”

Designed for a maximum intake of 50,000 barrels per day,

the facility accesses saline water from the Paddy Cadotte

aquifer located 1,000 metres below ground. Encana began

the project by converting two pre-producing gas wells into

saline source water wells – the debut pair of what is project-

ed to be up to 20 source wells. the unusable water flows via

pipeline network to the WRh. It is then filtered, stored and

pumped through other pipelines to new well sites for use

in hydraulic fracturing – and this is where the cycle begins

anew.

In what is an innovative recycle and reuse loop, the flow-

back water returned from the formation after completions

operations will be pipelined back to the central point of the

WRh. hydraulic fracturing water returns are then blended at

the site with the saline source water and/or produced water

and thereafter redistributed for use. this step further reduces

Encana’s dependence on surface water.

the WRh is but one example of Encana’s innovative use

of saline water in its operations. In the horn River basin of

Northeastern b.C. Encana teamed up with Apache in 2010 to

tap into the Debolt formation, an underground non-potable

aquifer with water similarly too saline or salty for human

or agriculture use. the formation and its associated water

treatment plant ultimately provided about 98 per cent of the

water needed for both companies’ hydraulic fracturing op-

erations in the two Island Lake area of the play.

In addition, Encana last year began the development of an

unutilized water source project in the Pipestone area west of

Grande Prairie, Alberta. this endeavour also targets a non-

potable subsurface source in the Cardium formation and

long-term plans include the transport of this water through

a pipeline network to lined pits planned for the area.

“Each of our operating areas has its own unique geology

and hydrology,” says Dunn. “the Water Resource hub is a

great example of how we fine-tune our water management

approaches according to the specifics of each area in which

we operate. Protecting and efficiently using water is crucial

to the continued success of our business and the vitality

of our operating communities. using water as responsibly

as possible, while seeking alternate saline or non-potable

sources, represents a win-win from both an environmental

and an economic perspective.” S

enCana going saline to reduCe surfaCe water use


Regulating water used by the oil and gas industry is a key

priority for the bC oil and Gas Commission, and 2014

saw a new tool launched that adds to the commission’s

extensive online information.

the new Water Portal was completed in partnership with

the b.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource op-

erations, Geoscience bC, and the Science and Community En-

vironmental Knowledge Fund. It provides public access to a

wide range of water-related data and information in northeast

b.C, including streamflow information, climate information,

groundwater quality data, and observation well data. the map-

based tool allows users to search provincial information sta-

tions related to surface water, groundwater and climate.

“the Water Portal is another valuable tool developed by the

commission and its partner agencies to enhance water knowl-

edge and water information for us, industry, First Nations, and

the general public,” says Allan Chapman, commission hydrolo-

gist. “the development of the Water Portal reflects our commit-

ment to providing public access to critical information desired

by a range of stakeholders. the commission’s website really has

become an excellent source for information on water resources

and water use in b.C. as it relates to the oil and gas industry.”

Specifically, the water-related data and information includes:

• Streamflow information collected by the Water Survey of

Canada (and others, such as the horn River basin Producers

Group).

• Climate information collected by Environment Canada,

Ministry of transportation (road weather), Ministry of For-

ests, Lands and Natural Resource operations (fire weather),

bC hydro, and others.

• MinistryofEnvironmentobservationwelldata.

• Groundwaterqualitydata(fromNorthernHealth,Ministry

of Environment, and others).

• Data collected as a permit requirement from the commis-

sion, or through investigations (streamflow, water quality).

• Variouswaterdatacollectedbygovernmentthatiscontained

in the Provincial Environmental Monitoring System data-

base.

other water information available on the commission’s web-

site includes the Northeast Water tool, which is map-based and

allows users to search active Section 8 permits and water licenc-

es, as well as streamflow data for the northeast, and quarterly

and annual water reports that contain data on water used for oil

and gas activities.

Data from the 2013 annual report on Water use for oil and gas

activities shows water used for hydraulic fracturing was nearly

two-million cubic metres (m3) less than in 2012 (5.3 million

m3 and 7.1 million m3 respectively). Despite 14 more wells be-

ing hydraulically fractured in 2013 at 433, the majority were in

the Montney play, where the geology requires less water for a

formation to be fractured.

Water is used for a number of purposes for oil and gas activi-

ties, such as drilling wells, washing machinery, dust control and

freezing ice roads. the largest use is for the process of hydrau-

lic fracturing, wherein water is injected underground at high

enough pressures to fracture natural gas bearing rocks.

the Water Portal, Northeast Water tool, and water reports are

all available on the commission’s website at www.bcogc.ca. S

water Portal adds to B.C.’s online water inforMation

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Water is used for a number of purposes for oil and gas activities, such as drilling wells,

washing machinery, dust control and freezing ice roads.


Progress Energy Canada Ltd., a lead-

er in Canadian natural gas devel-

opment, is one of the most active

drillers in the country. Producing more

than 350 million cubic feet of natural gas

per day, Progress serves Canadian markets

while ambitiously expanding production

capacity in preparation for the opening of

new liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets

in Asia.

british Columbia’s’ government has its

sights set on a thriving LNG industry in

the province and Progress is a key piece

of the equation. Progress’ parent com-

pany PEtRoNAS, a global leader in LNG,

is also the owner of Progress’ sister com-

pany, Pacific Northwest LNG (PNWLNG),

which is planning to build a world-scale

Crafting a Bright new future for Canada’s energy exPorts

Growing with you in British Columbia

canam.comFort Nelson Fort St. John

Grande Prairie Swift Current

Calgary Edmonton


A leader in Canadian natural gas development, Progress Energy is building upon its history of performance excellence in North America to pioneer new infrastructure to deliver liquefied natural gas to Pacific Rim markets.

Together with Pacific NorthWest LNG, Progress is helping craft a bright new future for Canada’s energy exports.

To learn more visit ProgressEnergy.com

Canadian EnErgy. global rEaCh.

LNG export facility on Canada’s west coast

in Port Edward near Prince Rupert, british

Columbia. Progress will supply the gas to

the PNWLNG terminal at a volume of two

billion cubic feet per day to be shipped

and supplied to markets in Asia.

PEtRoNAS is working towards making

a final investment decision on the project

by the end of 2014 with the first gas ship-

ment expected beginning of 2019, creating

thousands of jobs, billions in economic

activity, and clean fuel for some of the

largest populations on the planet.

In anticipation of a positive final

investment decision, Progress is ramp-

ing up activity to identify natural gas

reserves. the company has set a target

of 15 trillion cubic feet in reserves by

Q4 2014. Already halfway there, Prog-

ress operated 28 rigs in the Montney

in Northeastern british Columbia this

past winter. this activity alone created

approximately 3,500 direct and indi-

rect jobs for Canadians. Additionally,

Progress has invested more than $280

million into british Columbia’s econo-

my this year alone through its resource

extraction activities. total direct spend-

ing on this project is expected to be

$36 billion.

there are more than a dozen compet-

ing projects with aspirations to export

LNG to Asian markets, however, Prog-

ress has been working diligently to form

partnerships that gives it an advantage

in meeting its objectives. PEtRoNAS

and Progress have entered into a joint

venture with four partners who will

each take a portion of the exported gas

for their local markets. PEtRoNAS (62

per cent), JAPEX (10 per cent), Petro-

leumbrunei (three per cent), Indianoil

(10 per cent) and China’s Sinopec (15

per cent) are part of the North Montney

Joint Venture.

Progress has secured an agreement

from transCanada Corporate to both

extend its NoVA Gas transmission sys-

tem into the North Montney region,

and also to build an 850 to 900-kilome-

tre pipeline to deliver North Montney

gas to Prince Rupert on the west coast

of british Columbia.

this project has the resource, the

pipeline, the LNG expertise and the

market – it’s the total package. S

this project has the resource, the pipeline,

the lng expertise and the market – it’s the total package.


british Columbia’s Energy Services

bC (ESbC) has created an envi-

ronment where businesses want

to be, today and for years to come. their

secret? A three-fold approach built on

advocacy, education, and relationship-

building.

As the voice of b.C.’s oil and gas service

sector for over 35 years, the non-profit as-

sociation has been well established as a

service sector resource for members, ex-

plorers and producers (E&Ps), as well as

the community. In fact, the multi-region

association has a reputation for remain-

ing abreast of natural gas activities, while

concurrently working to increase indus-

try benefits for all british Columbians,

including their 250-plus members.

Advocate Member advocacy is integral to the

service sector association, and as such,

they continue to market the capacity of

the province’s service sector, promoting

members to E&Ps with projects in b.C.

“our member companies are amongst

the longest established within the Peace

Region service sector,” affirms Art Jar-

vis, executive director at Energy Services

bC, citing that the association facilitates

much capacity development and net-

working opportunities on their behalf.

Add to that, ESbC is a superior advo-

cate of the province in which they live

and work. A prime example, the criteria

for membership speaks well to this idea

– to acquire membership with ESbC,

members must have a presence in b.C.,

hire b.C. residents, and maintain an of-

fice and/or operations in the province.

Indeed, the province is vast with op-

portunity in the service sector, and yet the

sector has many challenges, including a

limited understanding of E&Ps procure-

ment processes. An integral focus for

ESbC, therefore, is relationship-building

with E&Ps, particularly those who are Al-

berta-based and view the cost of the b.C.

service sector as a challenge (among the

limited information about b.C. service

sector and gaps in service needs).

Subsequently, ESbC maintains con-

stant contact with Alberta-based E&Ps

to address the following key issues

brought forward by the local service sec-

tor:

• Identifyingpotentialsuppliers

• Servicesectorcompanies’safetycon-

cerns

• Increasingopportunitieswithaborig-

inals and First Nations

Educate Participation in energy expos remains

at the top of the ESbC to-do list. As

such, the team retains a regular appear-

ance at the many national and provin-

cial expos.

of the recent b.C. expo, Jarvis of-

fers, “the greatest value at our expo was

the presentations by Donny Van Dyke

(Northern Gateway), bill Gwozd (Ziff

Energy), bob Zimmer (M.P.) and Pat

Pimm (MLA). these people informed

and impressed hundreds of service sec-

tor personnel in the show’s two days.”

the ESbC website, of course, is one

more way in which the association pro-

motes education and communication

amongst community and ESbC mem-

bers, alike. the user-friendly website

features industry-related events, period-

ic newsflashes, job postings and a mem-

ber directory, among other features, to

keep the service sector community in-

formed and engaged.

In addition to determining and relay-

ing E&P procurement processes to mem-

bership, the association offers marketing

resources for service sector companies

through website advertising, and assists

service sector companies with labour

and training issues.

Strengthen For ESbC, the strengthen pillar is

three-fold: strengthen relationships with

members; identify b.C. service sector

companies, and promote said compa-

nies to E&Ps; and finally, identify and

build relationships with E&Ps who op-

erate in b.C. and Alberta.

“our goal is to strengthen our role

as the voice of the b.C. service and sup-

ply companies,” says Art Jarvis, ESbC ex-

ecutive director. “We aim to promote the

growth and development of these compa-

nies, as well as to increase the utilization

of b.C. service and supply companies.”

to this point, the following relation-

ship building blocks have been devel-

oped:

• Developasharedvision

• Addresseachother’sexpectations

• Identifyeachother’sstrengths

• Supporteachother’slimitations

• Setgoals

• Ensurequickresolvetodisputes

• Definerolesandresponsibilities

• Developacommunicationsstrategy

For more information on energy

services bC, please contact art Jarvis

at [email protected] or visit

the esbC official website,

http://www.energyservicesbc.org/ S

fueling the futureenergy services bC actively advocates province’s service sector by Jillian Mitchell


In May 2014, Chinese president Xi

Jiping and Russian president Vladi-

mir Putin announced a 30-year

energy agreement worth an estimated

$400 billion that will deliver 38 billion

cubic metres of natural gas to China

starting in 2018. It is an energy coup

for China who secures natural gas sup-

plies to fuel future economic growth,

and ends an energy courtship that many

thought would never produce a final

agreement. In past articles in the b.C.

oil & gas report, I have written about

how natural gas is having a major geo-

political impact on the world and fun-

damentally changing the energy mix as

it emerges to become the most impor-

tant energy source over the next century.

Some analysts speculate that this

massive China-Russian deal will have

a major negative impact on british Co-

lumbia and Canada and sink Prime

Minister harper’s plans for Canada to

become a global energy superpower and

sink Premier Christie Clark’s plans for

b.C. to become a major global LNG ex-

porter. the theory being that natural gas

from Siberia will be provided to China

at deep discounts to current prices in

Asia. however, at this point no one re-

ally knows the price that was agreed to

between China and Russia. For years,

the two countries have struggled to put

a deal together. Russia has not wanted

to sell at a price lower then it demanded

from Europe – their biggest customer;

and China did not want to pay a higher

price then what it pays turkmenistan

– its biggest supplier. Some simple cal-

culations on the $400 billion deal have

the price at about $350 per thousand

cubic metres, which is believed to be

close to the price China paid turkmeni-

stan for natural gas last year.

Like Russia, Canada has vast energy

resources, and natural gas is a major

contributor to the Canadian economy.

It’s in Canada’s national and economic

interest to ensure that the country has

the capability to export energy to the in-

ternational market. It’s not just a ques-

tion of the economic benefit of creating

much-needed jobs, as much as it is a

question of strengthening an industry

for the long term with diversified distri-

bution. but while we take our time to

debate issues that need to be resolved,

the rest of the competitive international

market is building infrastructure, mak-

ing commitments, and signing long-

term energy agreements. they are doing

so by addressing the same concerns we

have, but doing so based on the latest

available facts and in a timely, efficient

manner and in the process validating

the increasingly important role of natu-

ral gas in the global energy market.

under the current situation, Canada

only has one customer – the united

States –which used to be the largest

buyer of Canadian natural gas. New

technologies unlocked vast amounts of

natural gas trapped in shale rock forma-

tions in Canada and the u.S. the end

result was the u.S. went from being our

largest customer to being our largest po-

tential competitor. the u.S. is seizing

the opportunity by constructing their

own capacity to export Liquid Natural

Gas (LNG). on June 19, the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission voted

unanimously to let Sempra’s Cameron

LNG project in Louisiana move forward.

Sempra said it plans to start building

the estimated $9 billion to $10 billion

terminal later this year – the second

such facility to receive u.S. government

approval.

Vast North American supply, lower

production costs and extensive North

American pipeline distribution sys-

tems dictate lower natural gas prices in

North America compared to the prices

in Asia, which can be four times higher.

Producers can contract a higher price in

Asia and make a better profit margin by

producing in North America and selling

into the Asian market. this internation-

al distribution requires pipeline capac-

ity and LNG export facilities to allow

Canada to sell into the global market

and simply make a higher margin for

their product even after considering sea-

borne shipping costs.

Perhaps there is the outside chance

that the u.S. will import natural gas

from Canada in order to simply support

their domestic needs and add to their

own export capacity through Louisiana,

which will capture a market that Canada

should service directly. In other words,

with only one distribution point to the

south, Canada continues to simply be

a part of the u.S. supply calculation –

part of the overall u.S. inventory, which

would run in surplus support exports

that are refined and converted to LNG

in the u.S. and sold at a higher price on

the global market by the Americans. A

surplus will dictate very low prices, and

with no international export capacity

in b.C., Canada will remain beholden

to North American pricing, dictated by

the Americans – like it is now. the same

goes for oil. Currently, the u.S. dictates

the price. Canada gets a price dictated

by America rather then a global price

because it is sold to the lowest bidder –

the only bidder – the uSA. this is not a

negative against the u.S. You would do

the same thing if you knew you were the

only buyer. It’s a negative shot against

will the China-russia natural gas deal sink British ColuMBia’s lng dreaMs?by Jay roberge


Canada and its citizens for poorly man-

aging our natural resources and not

being able to efficiently and effectively

address the various concerns from vari-

ous groups and move forward with con-

struction. A weak natural gas market

will have far-reaching economic impact

on Canada and declining industry rev-

enues that will impact Canadian social

programs.

What is the likely impact of the Chi-

nese-Russian gas deal for Canada and

b.C.? Some analysts believe the China-

Russia deal will make Canada’s oil and

gas industry non-competitive and un-

able to deliver a product to the global

market at a competitive price, and that

Canada should cut bait and forget about

moving forward with building our LNG

export capacity. Such a view is short-

sited and will ensure the slow-death of

a critical industry in Canada. Let’s not

take our eyes off of the long-term ob-

jective and the critical importance of

diversified distribution capabilities and

the growing global demand for energy.

China is not the only customer that Ca-

nadian LNG exports are targeting. Korea

and Japan are major target markets and

have also been making major commit-

ments to b.C.’s LNG industry.

the capital considerations are sub-

stantial. but the economic consider-

ation is not a simple exercise of taking

the latest deal, or piece of news and do-

ing some linear extrapolation. LNG ex-

port capacity is long-term planning for

an important industry to Canada and

is about having diversified distribution

for a commodity that is of increasing

global importance in the global energy

mix. For the Canadian and british Co-

lumbian natural gas market, this means

having the pipeline capacity and LNG

facilities in place to open Canada’s nat-

ural gas to a global market and global

pricing.

the more likely factor to scare away

investment commitments to LNG proj-

ects in Canada are labour concerns. Pro-

vincial workforce projections reviewed

by Reuters show that the province could

face a shortage of nearly 12,000 skilled

workers to staff the most in-demand

trade jobs at peak LNG construction.

the b.C. government has promised to

provide the training and having educa-

tion programs focus on engineering and

construction skills rather then other ar-

eas. A successful educational transition

will likely still require support from the

import of foreign workers, which has

suffered a set back in recent months in

Canada.

Regardless, the easiest way to lose a

game is to quit. Canada and british Co-

lumbia cannot afford to pull up the tent

pegs and quit because of the short-sited

view of the real impact of the China-

Russia deal, or because someone be-

lieves Canadians cannot compete. With-

out the pipelines to the coast of b.C.,

we will remain beholden to the united

States and the prices they dictate for our

product, and we will never compete in a

global market. the sooner we get people

trained and facilities built, the better.

Why would China do this deal with

Russia? China has perhaps the world’s

largest reserves of shale gas on the

planet, far exceeding the reserves of the

united States. China has some techni-

cal challenges in extracting domestic

shale gas, but more importantly, China

– more then anyone – understands the

long-term value of resources, and as a

culture, has always planned for the long

term and for future generations. Energy

is a priority, but for the first time, Presi-

dent Xi Jiping has put the environment

in the central government’s five-year

plan priorities as well. China recognizes

the importance of natural gas as a lower


carbon emission advantage of natural

gas and is looking to make natural gas

a bigger part of the country’s overall en-

ergy mix. that natural gas, nuclear, and

other non-coal resources of energy are

taking up a greater percentage of their

energy mix. bottom line is that China

recognizes the long-term importance

of natural gas for China’s energy needs

and environmental wellbeing. they are

buying energy security, not supply, and

complementing this with investments

into other energy sources and technolo-

gies.

If analysts can do one linear extrapo-

lation of data, it is the real fact that the

world’s population will continue to

grow. the continued global growth of

the planet will dictate increasing de-

mand for energy that can only be met

with all available sources, including

natural gas, coal, wind, solar, etc. Rus-

sia will not meet all of China’s energy

needs, nor will it fully displace other

suppliers like turkmenistan, or poten-

tial future suppliers like Canada. unlike

many countries, China is planning and

buying for the future of their country.

Evolving technology will continue to

improve both the environmental im-

pact on all resources, while increasing

their efficiency. And, natural gas will

play an increasingly important role in

the overall global energy mix, result-

ing in higher global demand over the

long term as natural gas is used more

in transportation and power generation

worldwide.

Add to this the fact that the global

economy is still in a state of subsidized

growth with cheap capital provided by

loose monetary and fiscal policy. the

global economy is still recovering, and

one day will return to real global growth

(and inflation). the question becomes,

when we return to real global growth,

will the demand and price for commod-

ities go up or down? the answer is up.

to justify the capital investment into

a diversified distributing system, Can-

ada and british Columbia must keep

their eye on the long-term outlook and

not make decisions based on the latest

headline news alone. Canada and other

western societies have allowed their de-

cisions to be driven by today’s news and

the daily stock market numbers, rather

then taking a long-term view on invest-

ment and planning. today’s news may

impact the daily or short-term trading

of commodities, but should not cloud

our vision for seeing the macro trend

of a growing population and growing

demand for energy. A temporary slow

down in major markets like China and

India only matters to the short-term

trade and does not mean the demand or

importance of natural gas, oil and coal

is over. Markets cycle up and down, but

the overall trend is that demand and

prices for energy will go higher on av-

erage, especially when the world moves

from subsidized growth to real global

growth.

Natural resources are valuable com-

modities that need to be managed and

not squandered at low prices. Canada

is blessed with vast resources that far

exceed our domestic requirements.

Canada should increase its own domes-

tic use of natural gas, and as a global

citizen, continue to offer surplus re-

sources to other countries that do not

have sufficient domestic supply. In or-

der to get the best price for these val-

ued resources, Canada and b.C. need to

have the capability to deliver that prod-

uct to a global market and not just one

customer. Pipeline capacity and LNG

export facilities must be completed in

order to do so and to ensure a stronger

Canadian natural gas industry for gen-

erations to come. S

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on June 17, the federal govern-

ment announced its agree-

ment to let Enbridge build

its Northern Gateway pipeline, subject

to 209 conditions recommended by

the National Energy board and further

talks with aboriginal communities. this

moves Enbridge one-step closer to get-

ting access to the Pacific coast, and b.C.s

construction sector one-step closer to

major opportunity.

For some time, the bC Construction

Association (bCCA) has challenged b.C.

industry and government to grow the

skills capacity to build a new industry

amidst booming resource, industrial,

commercial and residential construc-

tion sectors.

Light is beginning to shine. both the

federal and provincial governments

have recognized the need for more

skilled tradespeople: the b.C. govern-

ment released its skills for Jobs blueprint

and began an overhaul of the Industry

training Authority. the federal govern-

ment’s new Canada-bC Job Grant is

forcing the country into a new model

to support increased development of in-

demand skills in trades and technology.

the focus on demand side is correct, but

requirement of increased employer con-

tributions is misguided. We’ll see where

it lands.

the bCCA will continue to advocate

strongly on behalf of construction em-

ployers who already contribute signifi-

cant resources to supporting appren-

tices and employees, as well as govern-

ment tax coffers.

While the new federal and provincial

plans rightly emphasize industry col-

laboration, data-based decision making

and accountability, until there is action,

there is no outcome.

the bCCA focuses on three levers: de-

mand-driven sourcing for skilled work-

ers and apprentices from b.C., sourcing

skilled, specialized journeypersons for

roles which can’t be filled domestically,

and the broader culture shift that is re-

quired to re-kindle interest in the trades

in our children and youth – and their

parents. there is progress on all fronts.

Demand-driven sourcingat home…

When direct connection is made to

the demand side, jobs get filled. We’ve

been operating the Skilled trades Em-

ployment Program (StEP) this way since

2006, connecting over 8,000 british Co-

lumbians to skilled trades careers. We

actively source non-traditional workers,

shift. Build. grow. b.C. on the cusp

dean baumeister, manager/co-owner, and Will debolt, technician, at dalco Parts & service, Fort st. John. (PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE SILVER PHOTOGRAPHy / BCCA).


and with 68 staff in the field making

thousands of points of contact with em-

ployers each year, we are operating the

most connected, successful, and effective

hR program this industry has ever seen.

StEP specialists network via 13 of-

fices around the province, including six

in b.C.’s north. this program has no fee

and there is no better resource for sourc-

ing skilled labour and apprentices.

and away…

the bCCA also addresses the need

for experience with our Foreign Skilled

Workers b.C. service. Canadians are slow-

ly beginning to recognize the critical dif-

ference between low-skilled hospitality

jobs and the highly skilled, specialized

jobs in the construction industry.

Each journeyperson opens the door

for at least two Canadian apprentices

and four-to-six entry-level Canadian

workers. It’s important to get past the

emotional jargon and focus on the op-

portunity at hand – therefore, we help

b.C. construction employers to source

this expertise even when we’re not able

to find it at home.

Cultural shift Even with a youth unemployment

rate of 14.5 per cent, only about 1,400

b.C. high school graduates choose to

enter the trades directly out of high

school. to fill b.C.’s shortage, that num-

ber must be closer to 10,000 – 20 per

cent of our grads, and a seven-fold in-

crease over current rates, which started

June 2014.

the b.C. government’s skills for Jobs

blueprint aims to the number of b.C.

students entering the in-demand trades

at the right time. the program also iden-

tifies a greater need for industry collabo-

ration and data, and increased support

for post-secondary trades training – im-

portant keys to successful shifts in how

british Columbians think about a future

in the trades.

new york times columnist thomas

Friedman wrote: “We have gone from

the Iron Age to the Industrial Age to the

Information Age to the talent Age, and

countries that make it easy to draw in

human talent will have the advantage.”

As a society, we need to change how

we are educating and motivating our

youth. As employers, we need to think

about our responsibility to our sector.

And as leaders, we need to stimulate a

cultural shift that recognizes the value

of the skilled trades.

It will take continued collaborative

effort to successfully leverage the op-

portunities in front of us. Employers,

universities, colleges, government, and

industry are engaging each other in

tough conversations about their collec-

tive future success: join in. S

aaron smith, apprentice sheet metal worker. [PHOTO: DAVE SILVER PHOTOGRAPHy / BCCA]

both the federal and provincial governments have recognized the need for more

skilled tradespeople.

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the good news is that the econo-

mies of small, northern towns

like Kitimat and terrace are reap-

ing the benefits that increased industry

brings. the bad news is that the housing

markets in these areas are among the first

to feel the onslaught of an abundance of

workers and too few beds.

“We’ve been a town of 12,500 peo-

ple before the present boom,” explains

Gwendolyn Sewell, director of commu-

nity planning & development for the Dis-

trict of Kitimat. “We have almost enough

housing units for that population, espe-

cially with the construction that is antici-

pated to occur this and next season.”

the hiccup in the mix is recent in-

dustrial activity. the modernization of

the Rio tinto Alcan aluminum smelter

in Kitimat has “stretched” housing re-

sources in the area, as have the pro-

posed KLNG and LNG Canada plants

and related pipelines. All projects have

attracted additional workers and service

providers to the area in anticipation of

the increased activity. It has also strained

local housing markets.

“We started feeling the affects of a

shortage in temporary accommodation

about two years ago,” adds Sewell. “It

became more acute recently and has

lessened somewhat over the last three to

four months.”

housing hiCCuPsCommunities feel the crunch of temporary workersby Melanie Franner

PHOTOS COURTESy OF THE DISTRICT OF KITIMAT.


The ebb and flow

Just as recently as october 2013, ac-

cording to the Housing Facts 2014 report

from the District of Kitimat, rental vacan-

cy rates in town were as low as one per

cent. the average value of a single-family

dwelling hit $228,000 in 2014 – up from

$152,082 in 2012 and $192,223 in 2013.

“the community is always abuzz with

a number of different projects,” notes

Shannon Dos Santos, sales representa-

tive, RE/MAX Kitimat Realty. “We see a

lot of workers come and go. Some stay

in town. Some stay in the camps. Some

bring their families. things are always

shifting. A couple of months ago, you

couldn’t keep a bungalow on the mar-

ket. You would get numerous bids on

the same day and the house would sell

for more than the asking price. today,

we have 55 properties available. two

months ago, we had maybe 11 homes

and only two or three of them didn’t

have conditional offers.”

Dos Santos estimates that housing

prices have risen by more than 50 per

cent over the last couple of years.

Kimberlee ulmer, regional manager,

Randall North Real Estate Services Inc.,

sees the same housing shortages occurring

in nearby towns like terrace and Prince

Rupert. ulmer oversees 140 rental units

in the three vicinities. they include a mix

of apartments, furnished and unfurnished

townhouses, and detached homes.

the modernization of the rio tinto alcan aluminum

smelter in Kitimat has “stretched” housing

resources in the area, as have the proposed Klng and lng Canada plants

and related pipelines.


“As of May 1, we had 27 rental units available, although most

of them had pending leases,” she states, adding that it’s based

on the nature of the projects. “the jobs end and the workers go

home. And then a new phase or new project starts and we get

an influx of people.”

According to ulmer, the town of terrace has traditionally

been a tighter rental market than Kitimat, although she adds

that rental prices in Kitimat are typically 15 to 20 per cent high-

er than those in terrace.

“We received 30 applications on an apartment that just came

up in terrace,” she says. “Demand for lower-priced units is still

high.”

New accommodations Aside from the work camps being brought onboard by the

contractors themselves (e.g. the renovated 600-bed cruise ship

or “camp on water” as the locals refer to it, and the new Civeo/

PtI Group 2,000+ bed facility), the area’s towns are also experi-

encing a significant upturn in renovations and sales of existing

residential houses.

“before the main boom in Kitimat, there were a lot of vacant

houses that had fallen into disrepair,” states ulmer. “the hous-

ing demand has spurred renovation and a lot of these homes

have now been fixed up and rented out.”

there is also a lot of new construction underway.

“We have experienced a lot of new-build projects,” states

Manual Leite, managing broker, RE/MAX Kitimat Realty. “We

pre-sold a 36-unit complex fairly quickly. Some were corporate

buyers, but most of the purchasers were investors.”

The days ahead

the rapid rise in housing demand for small, northern towns

like Kitimat, terrace and Prince Rupert appears to have kick-

started a renovation and new construction boom that, for the

most part, can handle the ebb and flow of workers moving in

and out of the area – as new industry is announced and the

need for required services increases.

At the same time, the companies themselves are recognizing

the strain brought on by a quick influx of workers and are doing

their part to help alleviate the housing shortage that inevitably

arises. be it a new townhouse development, a renovated cruise

ship, or a new 2,000-plus bed work camp, the end game is a

flexible and thriving community that can continue to adapt and

reap the rewards of their growing local economies. S

a rental unit example of the properties managed by randall north real estate services inc.


Safety is an inside job. At Enform, Canada’s safety as-

sociation for the upstream oil and gas industry, it starts

with one – one worker, one site, one company at a time.

For over 50 years, the not-for-profit safety association has

worked to ensure that every worker in the oil and gas sector

goes home safely, everyday. It’s a lofty vision, says Rick New-

love, manager of Enform’s b.C. operations, but one that the

association is proud to take on.

“our vision is to have no work-related incidents or injuries

in the Canadian upstream oil and gas industry,” says Newlove.

“We want to try our best to accomplish that.”

Collaboration constitutes much of the Enform vision. In

2013, the safety advocate partnered with industry organiza-

tions to train more than 255,000 workers in health and safety

practices. of that, 165,000 were certified in the Enform flag-

ship course h2S Alive. through Enform’s Certificate of Recog-

nition (CoR) program, 2,900 companies received their CoR

certificate, enabling them to improve their health and safety

performance. Add to that, the association’s strategic alliances

with six major industry associations allows for further en-

hancement of safety and training services in Canada’s oil and

gas industry.

Established for industry by industry, Enform has become

synonymous with safety. With locations in Calgary, Fort St.

John, Nisku and Weyburn, the leading safety advocate is well-

situated for continuous improvement in health and safety

practices, as they readily assist companies to achieve safety

goals through practices, assessment, training, support, met-

rics, and communication.

“We’re a service-focused organization,” says Newlove. “We

work very hard to understand our stakeholders and share the

diverse health and safety challenges, and we also work with

industry and government to merge industry expertise with the

government legislation.”

bringing industry experts together – that’s the Enform way.

In british Columbia, the team regularly invites speakers to

froM the ground uPKeeping b.C.’s workers safe by Jillian Mitchell


Fort St. John to address member inqui-

ries and hot industry topics, just one of

the perks of the organization’s diverse

training model. Complementary lunch

and learns are also open to all industry

participants.

“the speakers focus on issues that

we experience in b.C. in particular,” he

says. “Last year, we had speakers deliv-

ering topics on regulatory awareness,

education on regulatory differences

between the western provinces, new

legalities around drug and alcohol test-

ing, and featuring guest speakers such

as WorkSafebC.”

Many investments have been made

to ensure the association remains on

the cutting edge of industry. Last year

alone, a $3.7-million investment was

made into the organization’s Nisku lo-

cation, Canada’s main oil and gas train-

ing facility, in celebration of the facil-

ity’s 25th anniversary. the upgrade will

meet current and future technological

needs. Additionally, last year bore wit-

ness to the reinstatement of the b.C.

Enform conference in Fort St. John, a

subsidiary of Petroleum Safety Confer-

ence held in banff, Alberta, each year.

As of late, Enform has recently se-

cured an agreement with the three pro-

vincial Workers’ Compensation boards

(WCb) that provides important safety

data relating to the three western prov-

inces. the data, says Newlove, will help

better inform future safety initiatives.

“We’re currently examining the data

to determine potential focus areas and

identifying safety trends in the industry,”

he says. “From there, we can assess the

best safety initiatives and programs that

meet industry needs in the future.” S

We’re a service-focused organization.

Our goal is to get you home safely, every day.Your safety is our business. At Enform, our vision is to eliminate work-related incidents

and injuries in the upstream oil and gas industry. Everything

we do is dedicated to continuously improving your safety.

Working with our industry partners, we provide leading

training programs and services that touch the lives of

hundreds of thousands of workers every year. We promote

health and safety practices through safety management

planning and support, training programs, and by providing

the resources that you need to get the job done safely.

We were created by industry, for industry and

together we are making a difference.

Learn more about us at www.enform.ca

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Despite the proposed status of

the natural gas-export terminal

on b.C.’s Ridley Island, entre-

preneurs by the hundreds have flocked

to the city of Prince Rupert in hopes of

harnessing the opportunity.

“We’re starting this population climb

because of the LNG industry and when

this huge spike in population comes, we

will try to mitigate the effects,” says Paul

Vendittelli, economic development offi-

cer, Prince Rupert and Port Edward EDC,

citing that the rental of a cruise ship may

be included in future plans to house

workers.

over the next four to five years, an es-

timated 4,000 workers will be required

to construct the facility in Prince Rupert

(population 13,000), and as the City

confirms, priority will be given to lo-

cal hires. Subsequently, to best prepare

workers for procurement opportunities,

a series of informative bootcamps have

been hosted by the City in partnership

with the Northern Development Initia-

tive trust.

the 125-hectare (255 acre) site on

Ridley Island was secured by the Prince

Rupert Port Authority for the proposed

$16-billion bG Group liquefied natural

gas (LNG) facility due to its prime loca-

tion, says Vendittelli.

“Geographically, Prince Rupert is a day

and a half to two days closer to Asia than

any other port on the western side of

North America,” he says. “We’re the third

naturally deepest port in the world and

it’s an ice-free port; the shipping lanes

are uncongested.”

With an anticipated start date of 2016,

the Ridley Island LNG project will be de-

veloped in two phases: Phase 1 to include

the construction of an LNG plant (com-

prised of two LNG processing trains, to

start); Phase 2, the addition of the third

LNG processing unit to achieve full pro-

cessing capacity, as well as two ship-load-

ing berth and associated port facilities.

upon completion, the plant will have

a total capacity of approximately 21 mil-

lion tonnes of LNG per annum, which

will be liquefied and exported to interna-

tional markets. the first ship is projected

to sail in 2021.

As of March 2014, britain’s bG Group

PLC was approved for an exporting li-

cense by the National Energy board.

the company is currently seeking the

required environmental assessment cer-

tificates and has recently partnered with

Spectra Energy to jointly develop plans

for a new natural gas transportation sys-

tem from the Northeast b.C. to the pro-

posed Prince Rupert LNG terminal.

“bG Group has not made a final in-

vestment decision,” says Vendittelli.

“We’re talking about a $10-14-billion

project, so they have to do their due dili-

gence. they’re working on all that right

now and once they check all the boxes,

they’ll make the final investment deci-

sion.” S

a new kind of goldPrince rupert lng terminal proves a hotbed for entrepreneurs by Jillian Mitchell


David Rushford is the chair of

the horn River basin Produc-

ers Group (hRbPG) and se-

nior vice-president and chief operating

officer for Quicksilver Resources Canada.

We spoke with Rushford and discussed

how the transport of natural gas from

shale gas plays in Northeastern b.C. fares

in relation to worldwide competition.

b.C. oil and gas: Mr. rushford, where does

Canada stand relative to the u.s. in terms of

gas price recovery?

David Rushford (DR): When you

look at the North American gas market,

there’s been incredible growth in shale

gas in the u.S. and Canada. however, in

five years, the Marcellus gas play in the

eastern united States has gone from zero

to producing more than all of Canada, so

that creates a cap on gas prices in North

America. We are seeing a rebound in

prices up over the last two years – we’re

probably up 100 per cent from two years

ago. that’s a combination of economic

recovery in North America and world-

wide, plus increased demand as a result

of that. but we’re still setting natural gas

production records south of the border,

and that impacts prices domestically.

What direct effect do we see on the Cana-

dian side of the border?

DR: We’ve actually seen quite an en-

trenchment in gas production in Canada

– a bit of wet gas is being drilled now,

but the dry gas isn’t. Conventional gas is

at a standstill in b.C. and Alberta – we’ve

seen volumes shrink, so that helps tem-

per the demand side a bit.

How would you describe our link to the u.s.

with their high level of gas production versus

Canada’s lower levels right now?

DR: When you look at the gas business

in North America, it’s a fully integrated

business under the North American Free

trade Agreement, so there are no re-

strictions to gas trade. the pipeline net-

works, trading, and pricing mechanisms

are fully integrated. What you see in one

country, you’ll see a mirror image of in

the other country. When you look at the

gas market you really have to look at all

of North America, you can’t just look at

one country by itself.

How does the u.s. trade of large volumes

of gas compare to the level of activity in the

Horn river basin, liard basin, and Cordo-

va embayment in northeastern b.C.?

DR: over the past six or seven years,

the u.S. has gone from almost no shale

gas production to 25 per cent of their

gas production coming from shale plays.

When gas prices firm up, you see a flurry

of drilling which moderates any price

gains. the competitive challenge for b.C.

is that the northeast is at the wrong end

of the pipeline in some cases. the way

gas pricing works in North America is

the closer you are to market, the higher

the price you receive for your gas. In b.C.

we’re just about as far from that market

as you can get. So you have to discount

the price by the amount transportation

costs to get to those markets. A counter

to that is if the united States market is

Asia, they have to go through the Pan-

ama Canal, which costs considerably

more than moving gas from the west

coast of Canada to Asia – that is a very

good competitive advantage for Canada.

logistically, will the conversion of existing

u.s. lng import terminals into export ter-

minals be more beneficial than the brand-

new lng export terminals planned for the

coast of b.C.?

DR: For LNG, you have to look at

whether it’s a stand-alone facility or an

integrated facility. the cost for what we

call ‘brown field’ projects in the u.S. to

convert existing re-gas facilities to export

facilities is much less than in Canada,

but there’s a limited number that can

be converted. Quite a few of them have

received export permits from the u.S.

government to non-free-trade countries.

one of the restrictions there when try-

ing to export gas is whether it’s a country

they have trade agreements with, so that

hurdle has now been removed with the

recent export permits.

When will the u.s. conversions of lng

plants be ready?

DR: those will be the first ones that

go, and they’re roughly timed for 2016.

Most are going to add several-billion

cubic feet per day (bcfd) of additional

demand capacity in North America, so

that’s good.

horn river Basin ProduCers grouP: B.C., the u.s. and gloBal Contextby Kathy smith

david rushford, chair of the Horn river basin Producers group.


For northeastern b.C., specific to lng

plants that can utilize natural gas from the

Horn river basin, liard basin and Cordova

embayment, what are the main challenges

for production?

DR: In the current gas price environ-

ment, the area is challenged economical-

ly, so you’ve seen a significant pullback

of operations there. Encana is working

on some of their joint-venture lands,

Nexen has ongoing operations tied to

the CNooC purchase, and Apache’s

work is tied to their joint-venture with

Chevron and their LNG project. For the

majority of the land in the horn River

basin, there will be minimal activity un-

til either a gas price recovery occurs, or

the land is tied to an LNG export project

on the west coast.

When are the earliest lng facilities ex-

pected in Canada, and what hurdles do you

foresee?

DR: they’re timed for approximately

2018, with several more projects in the

2020 to 2022 timeframe. All of this is

good because that increases demand

for natural gas in North America. In the

case of b.C., it’s a matter of getting the

fiscal, tax, and royalty structures sorted

out with the government. the b.C. gov-

ernment anticipates making announce-

ments on these toward the end of 2014,

so once that’s in place we’re hoping to

see some of the first projects get to a final

investment decision. there will be good

lead-time to building the structures.

How do regulatory timelines and First na-

tions consultations affect potential investors

in decision making if they perceive delays or

unrest?

DR: the story is so much broader than

that. When you’re talking to a potential

Asian partner to do an integrated project

where they’re going to buy into the up-

stream, contracting capacity on pipelines

to the coast, and doing multi-billion dol-

lar investments in an LNG facility to bring

gas to Asia, they’re shopping all over the

world for gas. they’re looking at attri-

butes and concerns for every potential

supplier, which covers the gamut from

political stability, fiscal regimes, timing,

risk of nationalization of resources, and

much more. First Nations consultation

requirements and regulatory timelines

are just one of many many things these

parties look at. It all goes into timelines,

and the federal and b.C. governments are

making great efforts on that front.

are timelines or perceived delays impacting

northeastern b.C.?

DR: they’re measured in the range

of months. So yes, there are some local

frustrations for projects that had certain

timing. Some hRbPG members have run

into that, and certainly Quicksilver is one

of them, but those are specific to indi-

vidual activities in the basins for routine

facilities. I have 100 per cent confidence

that the government will get those issues

resolved, and get clarity on well licensing

and water permits. Water concerns and

consultation issues need to be worked

through, and the oGC is working dili-

gently on those.

With some examples measured in months,

what do larger infrastructures like gas plants

look like for permitting?

DR: Permitting for larger facilities re-

quire processes that go way beyond that

of the oGC. Examples, like the Cabin Gas

Plant, or in Quicksilver’s case, our Fortune

Creek Plant, we would have done six-to-

eight months of preliminary work before

engaging the environmental assessment

office. You need to have your application

very well thought-out with lots of aborigi-

nal consultation and local consultation

before that. then, an additional 18 to 20

months to go through the processes in-

volving legislation and regulations before

you go to final permits by the oGC. they

look after conventional facilities under

their legislation. Delays on regular permits

through the oGC occur because more

work needs to be done on them from vari-

ous parties, often to meet environmental

requirements and sufficient consultation.

the oGC process is very prescriptive and

we’ve used it for a long time. Industry un-

derstands it very well. You can’t have a reg-

ulatory framework that has no flexibility

to react to issues.

What do timeframes look like for lng facili-

ties?

DR: You’re talking about a project that

spans most of a decade. As long as you

have certainty on the regulatory timelines

on the upstream, I don’t think there’s an

obstacle to get these big projects complet-

ed on the coast. the main things are get-

ting the fiscal structure right, permitting

the facilities, and permitting the pipe-

lines out to the coast – the big marbles in

the jar, if you will.

What about options for powering lng facili-

ties?

DR: hydro or self powering through

natural gas turbines; I think the position

of the b.C. government and industry is

that greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions

aren’t a local issue – that’s an interna-

tional issue. When you look at all of these

projects on the west coast, every single

one of them, they are all going to bring

gas to Asia and they’re largely displacing

coal and oil-fired power. When you look

at what we call well-to-wheels, from up-

stream all the way to where it’s being con-

sumed in Asia, you are looking at up to

50 per cent reductions in GhG emissions

over what’s currently there, and almost a

100 per cent reduction in smog-causing

pollutants.

all of this is good because that increases demand

for natural gas in north america.


For skeptics who say this development should

not happen in their backyard, territory, prov-

ince, and so on, what do you say?

DR: If you are looking at this on a

worldwide scale, you should be cheer-

ing every one of these LNG plant proj-

ects on. they are going to have a massive

positive impact on GhG emissions at a

worldwide level. they’re also going to

have a huge impact on pollutants at a

local level in Asia. two-thirds of China’s

power comes from coal-fired generation,

and fairly dirty sources of coal. they have

massive pollution and public health is-

sues in their cities. there’s been a huge

impetus toward renewable energy sourc-

es, but the reality is, it’s not possible to

replace coal with renewable sources in

the timeframe they need that by – it has

to be done with natural gas turbines.

the value of striving for global health and

environment aside, people have concerns

about what’s going in b.C.

DR: You can read many articles that

suggest there’s an increase in GhG emis-

sions just inside the borders of b.C. You

can’t have that level of upstream and

pipeline development and not have an

increase, but looking just inside the fence

of b.C. is absolutely naïve. You really

need to look at it on a global scale. both

b.C. and Canada are looking at GhG reg-

ulation, and that has to be done in step

with our trading partners, primarily the

u.S. b.C. already has one of the toughest

GhG regulations in the world.

other than the high level of stability in b.C.

that is attractive to investors on many levels,

what else makes b.C. a reliable front-runner

for success in lng and natural gas produc-

tion?

DR: the regulatory process for upstream

oil and gas operations is very mature in

b.C. We’ve been working in b.C. since the

1950’s, so I’m not concerned. You’ll see

an increase in activity as the LNG projects

come through. We want to create another

avenue for shale gas sales in North Amer-

ica, and there is a very compelling case

for buyers from Asia to look at integrated

investments in the upstream of northeast

b.C., along with the LNG facilities on the

west coast. those projects can deliver gas

to Asia at very competitive prices that exist

internationally. S

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When you look at all of these projects on the west coast, every single one of them, they are all going to bring gas to asia and they’re largely displacing coal and oil-fired power.


the service rig industry is feeling

optimistic, and this confident

outlook has everything to do

with the recent dominance of long-reach

horizontal wells in Canada.

Rig activity is typically tracked in

terms of drilling rig utilization. An ac-

tive drilling industry today puts in place

the wells for service rigs to maintain and

repair tomorrow.

Looking ahead to the end of 2014, the

Canadian Association of oilwell Drill-

ing Contractors’ (CAoDC) Forecast-

ing Committee anticipates that drilling

activity will come out slightly ahead of

2013 activity.

these well counts are nothing close

to what the drilling industry achieved in

2006 when 22,000 wells were complet-

ed. but, with just over 200,000 existing

wells that continually need workovers or

repairs, the service rig industry is steady

and strong for the future.

the service rig industry is optimis-

tic not because of how many wells are

drilled. Rather, it’s the kind of well that’s

being drilled that matters. 2014’s 11,000

wells offer service rigs more opportunity

than 2006’s 22,000 wells.

“there was a lot of shallow gas drilling

in 2005 and 2006,” says Preston Reum,

chairman of CAoDC’s Service Rig Ex-

ecutive Committee and director for Es-

sential Well Service Inc. “but those wells

just don’t require the maintenance.”

Reum counts off two qualities in to-

day’s drilling program that service rig

contractors are happy to see. “Every well

has a better lifespan for requiring main-

tenance and repairs. And also, the well

gets more complicated when you start

going lateral.”

these two factors – wells with oil

payzones, as well as more complicated

wells, suggest that Canada’s service rig

fleet will stay busy. And, both factors are

at play in horizontal drilling activity.

horizontal wells tend to be more

lucrative than vertical wells. So it’s no

surprise that this drilling program is at-

tractive for exploration and production

(E&P) companies. Drilling vertically to

access an oil or gas formation offers lim-

ited production opportunities. but if a

wellbore runs laterally into the payzone,

the E&P company can penetrate the for-

mation at several points and dramati-

cally improve the inflow of oil and gas.

this multi-stage fracking is commonly

associated in the media with shale gas

wells, but it’s also applicable oil wells

and other gas wells.

Advancements in horizontal drilling

and in fracking have made many old

oil and gas fields economically feasible

again.

Less wells, more workovers

Service rigs have been busy in recent

years bringing old fields back into pro-

duction. And service rig equipment and

crews will stay in demand to keep these

wells in production.

the long-reach horizontal well has

friction points. because of these friction

points, downhole equipment needs reg-

ular maintenance.

“When you start going lateral, more

torque is needed on the drilling side. For

the service rig side, going lateral means

you’re responding to more tubing wear

and more rod wear.”

serviCe rigs and the long-reaCh wellby Cindy soderstrom, manager, communications, CaodC

2014’s 11,000 wells offer service rigs more opportunity than 2006’s 22,000 wells.

PHOTO COURTESy OF ESSENTIAL WELL SERVICE.


this is especially true for equipment

that sits where the well bore bends to be-

come lateral.

Another industry shift that has been

good for service rigs is the focus on oil

wells. When natural gas prices were

high earlier in the last decade, activity

focused on gas wells. the Canadian in-

dustry drilled one oil well for every three

gas wells in 2006. today, about three oil

wells are drilled for every one gas well.

“oil wells, as a rule, need more main-

tenance than a gas well,” say Reum.

When an oil well is particularly lucra-

tive, producers try to avoid downtime

in production as much as possible. Es-

sential is several service rig crews on

24-hour standby in northeast Alberta

where Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage

(SAGD) wells are in production. It’s an

unusual schedule for service rigs, a sector

that traditionally works during the day.

The stage is set for steady work ahead Looking ahead, industry is turning

their attention to export opportuni-

ties for gas. Shale gas development

has made the commodity abundant in

North America, and this has driven the

price down to bargain basement prices.

but depressed pricing isn’t the case for

markets overseas, and Canadian pro-

ducers are actively pursuing opportuni-

ties to move gas product overseas.

What’s needed is the infrastructure

to move natural gas to the west coast

and terminals to send Liquefied Natu-

ral Gas (LNG) to Asia. Plans for several

LNG terminals along the b.C. coast are

underway. David Daly, former manager

for fiscal policy with the Canadian As-

sociation of Petroleum Producers, has

noted that these terminals and pipe-

lines are a critical component for Cana-

da to reach new markets: “We could see

an LNG terminal later this decade. by

2018 or 2019 we’ll possibly have one of

these terminals completed.”

In light of the infrastructure discus-

sions underway, producers are eyeing

gas production opportunities in North-

east b.C. (around Fort St. John and Fort

Nelson).

unlike 2005’s shallow gas wells,

these gas wells will require the same

long reach that is predominantly used

today.

overall, horizontal drilling has

brought increased opportunities to ser-

vice rigs across Western Canada.

“our job is to help with all of this

production, whether we’re getting a

well going or doing workovers or re-

pairs,” says Reum. “It looks like there

will be plenty of that kind of work

ahead.” S

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It is amazing how sometimes ran-

dom events serve to highlight areas

of public controversy, and in terms

of fossil fuel production and distribu-

tion, the summer of 2014 has been par-

ticularly significant on two counts. First,

the ukraine-Russia dispute has served to

place new pressures on natural gas dis-

tribution, particularly within the huge

European market. Second, the sudden

eruption of violence within oil-produc-

ing regions, such as Iran and Nigeria,

has raised questions regarding the reli-

ability of petroleum production and ex-

ports from those regions.

both episodes serve to highlight the

importance of generating reliable North

American supplies. And, that consider-

ation brings sharpness to the polarizing

debates surrounding one of the most

important projects now dominating

North American media headlines, the

proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which is

designed to move Canadian petroleum

through the central u.S. and eventually

down to major refining facilities located

on the American Gulf Coast.

the project could be of vital interest

to the Canadian provinces of british

Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and

Manitoba, where intense exploration

and development efforts relating to both

‘natural’ petroleum deposits and those

associated with tar sands developments

are ongoing. In fact, those provincial

governments regard petroleum produc-

tion – both present and future – as im-

portant bases upon which to build fu-

ture economic growth.

Alberta, of course, is already well

known for conventional, as well as oil

sands development and production,

while the other three provinces look to-

ward natural gas and petroleum extrac-

tion as major sources of present and fu-

ture economic growth.

Keystone XL is actually only one part

of the “Keystone Pipeline System”, with

three phases carrying crude oil from Al-

berta already in operation (as of mid-

2014), including Phase 1 from hardisty,

Alberta through Regina, Saskatchewan

to Steele City, Nebraska and then on

to refineries in Illinois; Phase 2 oper-

ates between Steele City and Cushing,

oklahoma; and Phase 3A continues on

to Nederland, texas. Phase 3b, which

extends the pipeline to houston, is cur-

rently under construction.

the Keystone XL pipeline – Phase 4 of

the total system – will be an entirely new

pipeline from hardisty directly to Steele

City, located in southernmost Nebraska

– and it is that location which lies at the

heart of a major environmental contro-

versy since the proposed route would

carry the pipeline through areas consid-

ered important to Nebraska’s and neigh-

bouring states’ fresh water supplies.

the fact that controversies surround-

ing Keystone XL are making well-pub-

licized pro and con headlines on an

almost daily basis can be attributed, at

least in part, to the influence of great per-

sonal wealth on either side of the issue.

to a large extent, forces opposed to

the construction of the Keystone XL are

funded by billionaire tom Steyer, found-

er and former chairman of Farallon Cap-

ital Management. In a recent interview,

Steyer declared that he was dedicating

himself to tackling energy and climate is-

sues, and in order to work toward those

goals he founded – and funded – “Next-

Gen Climate”, which identifies itself

strongly with promoting climate change

awareness, as well as supporting clean air

and water issues.

Meanwhile, noted libertarian and

free market activists Charles and David

Koch – also themselves billionaires – are

equally vigorous in support of Keystone

XL. the Koch brothers, chairman and

executive vice-president of giant Koch

Industries, have consistently promoted

Keystone XL on the basis of the huge po-

tential economic and job-creation ben-

efits which could accrue upon its con-

struction and successful completion.

Political influence has played an im-

portant part in the overall debates re-

garding the project. Generally, those on

the political Left, and therefore carry-

ing substantial influence within Demo-

cratic Party circles, right up to President

obama, are fervently opposed to the

project on environmental grounds. one

of their arguments is that the comple-

tion of the Keystone XL would enable

further expansion of tar sands petroleum

recoveries in Northern Alberta, which

they regard as environmentally harmful,

while another is that approval of the Key-

stone XL could endanger the entire ogal-

lala Aquifer, one of the largest reserves

keystone xl deBate rages throughout suMMer 2014by leonard Melman

the project could be of vital interest to the Canadian provinces of british Columbia, alberta, saskatchewan,

and Manitoba, where intense exploration and development efforts relating to both ‘natural’ petroleum deposits and

those associated with tar sands developments are ongoing.


of fresh water in the world, which spans

eight states and provides drinking water

for more than two million people.

on the opposite side, those favouring

the project point toward two significant

considerations. First, there are the direct

economic benefits which would include

construction employment, permanent

operational job creation, support of

many retail establishments during con-

struction and operation, further employ-

ment within the Canadian oil industry,

and capital gains which would then be

redistributed throughout the economy.

Most recently, they have also noted

that the ukraine-Russia and Iraq-Syria

and Nigeria instabilities demonstrate the

potential vulnerabilities associated with

the importation of fossil fuels from dis-

tant – and possibly unreliable – sources.

Accordingly, they favour extensive devel-

opment of North American alternatives.

there are other political issues as well.

Since the Keystone XL pipeline originates

in Canada but passes through u.S. terri-

tory, relations between Canada and the

uSA are also involved. It is a matter of

record that American President barak

obama has openly questioned the ulti-

mate value of the project compared to

the environmental damage that might

ensue and has therefore used his pow-

erful influence to delay final approval

while Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen

harper has been vociferous in favour of

quick approval of Keystone XL leading to

early construction and production.

It is also worth noting that because

both nations are involved, final Ameri-

can responsibility for approval lies with

the state department, which is also sub-

ject to political pressures.

Whatever the eventual regulatory out-

come, the release of important informa-

tion from both sides of the Keystone XL

debate have served to significantly raise

the level of public knowledge regarding

the entire subject of North American fos-

sil fuels developments. S

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If you own or operate technical systems and equipment within

the oil and gas sector in british Columbia, you have a legal

responsibility to be aware of your operating permit require-

ments.

According to b.C.’s Safety Standard General Regulation, it is your

legal obligation to have operating permits for the operation and

maintenance of boiler, pressure vessel, refrigeration, electrical, el-

evating, gas, and various other types of equipment.

When do I need to have an operating permit?• Youmustobtain anoperatingpermitbeforeoperating equip-

ment or performing maintenance work subject to b.C.’s Safety

Standard General Regulation.

• Youmustadheretoanongoingpermitrenewalprocessaslong

as the equipment remains in service.

• Operatingpermitsarenon-transferrable.Youmustobtainnew

operating permits for each piece of equipment within any site

acquired. Existing permits become invalid when equipment

changes ownership. the sale of regulated equipment must be

declared to the bC Safety Authority.

Compliance with existing codes and standards is mandatory and

the bC Safety Authority (bCSA) can undertake actions to enforce

operating permit requirements.

Are there any other options? Yes. Alternative Safety Approaches (ASAs) are the only alternative

option offering equal or better safety outcomes than prescriptive

regulatory requirements in b.C.

ASAs were included in changes to the safety standards act that

were approved by the provincial government of british Colum-

bia in 2010. the program gives owners and operators of regulated

products and equipment a different method to effectively manage

safety. An ASA provides flexibility by treating safety as an integrated

whole instead of simply complying with a series of prescriptive re-

quirements.

Interest in bC Safety Authority’s ASAs continues to grow, espe-

cially in the oil and gas sector. the bCSA currently has 32 ASAs in

place and another 25 applications are currently under assessment.

According to Fred tewfik, bCSA’s acting leader of business de-

velopment, “our clients are seeing the benefits of ASAs as a way

to streamline the administration of operating permits, especially

in the area of boilers and pressure vessels,” says tewfik. “Safety is

important to everyone and the ASAs put the focus directly on safety

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revised October, 2013stringbean design

To improve efficiency, the BC Safety Authority offers the

following ASA options:

• SafetyManagementPlan:Applies to thesafetyofanentire

facility and allows for significant substitution or equivalency

to prescriptive regulations, making it possible to seek exemp-

tion from the regular permitting process.

• Equivalent Standard Approach: Allows for limited equiva-

lency or substitution of a regulation, adding operational flex-

ibility and streamlining of the administration for operating

permits.

“An alternative safety approach is an opportunity for owners

and operators to implement innovative safety practices, taking

into account the individual characteristics of their operations to

ensure a high level of safety performance,” adds tewfik. “We use

a robust auditing practice to support the safety management

plan process.”

the bC Safety Authority is confident that a number of ad-

ditional companies will have new ASA options in place by the

end of 2014. bCSA is also planning to work with the design

and engineering teams on proposed new liquefied natural gas

(LNG) projects.

For more information about alternative safety approaches, visit the

Permits section of bCsa’s website at www.safetyauthority.ca, or

email [email protected].

the bC safety authority is an independent, self-funded organization

mandated to oversee the safe installation and operation of technical

systems and equipment. in addition to issuing permits, licences and

certificates, we work with industry to reduce safety risks through as-

sessment, education and outreach, enforcement, and research.

With our mission to build confidence in safety systems for life,

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according to b.C.’s safety standard general regulation, it is your legal obligation to have operating permits for the operation

and maintenance of boiler, pressure vessel, refrigeration, electrical, elevating, gas, and

various other types of equipment.


the Northern Rockies Regional

Municipality (NRRM), working

with the province, industry and

Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) are

all focused on ensuring development

in british Columbia’s most northeast-

ern region that is both balanced and

sustainable. Significant new discover-

ies as the result of ongoing natural gas

exploration, combined with known

energy reserves and the refinement of

technologies in both upstream and

downstream production, and momen-

tum in the development of west coast

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects,

foretell continued growth in both the

natural gas sector and the community

itself. Canfor’s disposal of assets (two

production facilities and equipment)

in the Fort Nelson area where a large,

available wood supply, as healthy as

it is diverse, with the capacity to sup-

port a range of new operations, poses

substantial investment opportunities in

this industry.

the achievement of an Infrastructure

Development Contribution Agreement

(IDCA) with the Province of british

Columbia in 2013 attests to the Prov-

ince’s commitment to sharing financial

and leadership responsibility with the

NRRM to develop crucial components

of the region’s infrastructure, benefit-

ting residents and contributing to the

economic future of the province. With

the IDCA in place, investment into the

rehabilitation of aging infrastructure,

essential to sustainable industry access

and development, is already underway.

A primary source of natural gas to fu-

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province, Fort Nelson and the NRRM

sees 2014-2016 as a period of prepara-

tion. Forecasts for direct employment

of future natural gas sector expansion

alone show the potential for a work-

force of up to 10,000 in the NRRM by

2020.

the Alaska highway, combined with

railhead access and regular scheduled

and charter air service at the North-

ern Rockies Regional Airport (NRRA),

makes Fort Nelson an ideal transporta-

tion hub. Strategic business and capi-

tal planning and development around

transportation are well advanced as

manifested in the Alaska highway Cor-

ridor Study and upgrades to aprons and

runways at the NRRA. In response to

the development of shale gas resources

and the associated needs of the service

sector, new light-industrial lands are

in the second phase of development.

there are 250 local, fully serviced acres,

accessible by an industrial traffic route

off of the Alaska highway available for

purchase. At the same time, the Forestry

Roundtable meets regularly to explore

new options in our changing forest sec-

tor, maintaining focus on that industry.

FNFN and the NRRM have agreed to

pursue a community forest agreement,

one which would lead to a community

forest tenure.

tourism in this incredible region also

remains a force, with the world-famous

Alaska highway as Fort Nelson’s main

street, and the globally significant 6.4M

hectare Muskwa-Kechika wilderness ly-

ing in the backyard. the number of visi-

tors to the area steadily climbs annually,

as the desire to explore and experience

the “true north” remains a motivational

driver for many new and repeat visitors.

over 300 new businesses of all sizes

have established themselves in Fort

Nelson since 2009, with a continued

expectation of growth beyond 2014.

Storefronts in retail, service-sector pro-

viders, corporate oil and gas drilling,

completion and production services,

and the expansion of the accommoda-

tions sector all show the value and mea-

surable potential of the NRRM. Many of

those interested in possibilities in the

region will be attending the 2014 b.C.

oil and Gas Conference in Fort Nelson

September 30 through october 1, 2014.

Reaching the peak of business success

is no small feat: doing so in the North-

ern Rockies is well within reach.

Contact: invest northern rockies

email: [email protected]

tel: 250-774-2541

www.investnorthernrockies.ca S


the Canadian Society for uncon-

ventional Resources (CSuR) and

the Society of Petroleum Engi-

neers (SPE) have joined forces to plan

and operate the 2014 unconventional

Resources Conference–Canada, which

will be held September 30 to october

2, 2014 at the bMo Centre at Stampede

Park in Calgary, Alta. the conference

will focus on evolving industry inno-

vations and technologies that have the

potential to improve the economics of

North America’s rapidly developing un-

conventional oil and gas plays.

the increased number of challenges

associated with the exploration and de-

velopment of unconventional reservoirs

in the region has motivated the industry

to move into a new era of technologi-

cal discovery. best practices and ground-

breaking methods that mitigate those

challenges are becoming a major focus

in today’s industry.

the unconventional Resources Con-

ference–Canada will provide a platform

for sharing solutions and advanced

technologies among experts in North

American resources and technology

who lead the industry.

Attendees will engage with trailblazers

and pioneers in the technological devel-

opment of unconventional hydrocarbon

resources. through a multi-session high-

ly focused technical program, attendees

will learn about key topics, such as LNG

development and water management,

rock fluid interaction, hydraulic fractur-

ing design and analysis, tight oil and gas

performance and forecasting, uncon-

ventional stimulated reservoirs model-

ling, hydraulic fracturing materials and

operations, geological challenges, and

drilling and completions.

In addition, the conference will offer

an exceptional opportunity to partici-

pate in keynote presentations and in-

teractive panel sessions. these sessions

provide topics directly related to the

unconventional resources exploration

and production industry. Some of the

topics will include the emerging LNG

industry in Canada, the path of proper

water management, and collaboration

efforts among producers, stakeholders,

and regulatory organizations in dealing

with the challenges of sourcing, produc-

ing, and disposing of high volumes of

water.

Case studies on various unconven-

tional resource plays, utilizing micro-

seismic for assessing the effectiveness of

hydraulic fracturing, induced seismicity

and social licensing, are among the hot

topics that will be covered.

Not only will the conference offer an

unmatched opportunity for delegates

to learn through training courses and

a highly focused technical program,

the event will be an occasion for net-

working, connecting with key decision

makers, and building long-lasting rela-

tionships. the conference is designed

to include interactive networking func-

tions, from coffee breaks and breakfasts

to networking receptions.

A large exhibition will be held adja-

cent to the conference. It will fulfill the

expressed needs of the industry to learn

about market trends, competitive tech-

nologies, and new solutions available in

the North American market. the exhibi-

tion will allow giant players and SMEs

in the region to showcase their latest

products, solutions, and innovations.

Companies can increase their brand

awareness, source new sales leads, mon-

itor competition, and close deals on the

spot. S

a Broad sCoPe of unConventional hydroCarBon resourCes to BeexPlored at the 2014 unConventional resourCes ConferenCe–Canadaby yarah s. Moharam

30 September–2 OctoberCalgary, Alberta

Great reasons to attend this 3-day event!

➊ Five keynote and panel sessions and a 12-session technical program over three days

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Neil Horbachewski, Vice President—Production, Progress Energy Kevin Lynch, Vice Chair, BMO Financial Group Holger Mandler, Shell Oil Neil Spriggs, Co-President, Nanometrics Bill Whitelaw, CEO, JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group Peggy Williams, Editorial Director, Hart Energy Ivan Wong, Principal Seismologist/Vice President, URS Corporation

➌ Other features including an awards luncheon, young professional and teacher workshops, training courses, and a state-of the-art exhibition

Register now at www.spe.org/go/urccbc.


hydraulic fracturing opera-

tions have been around for

more than 60 years in Can-

ada and used safely to complete more

than 170,000 wells. the technology has

evolved to allow for more complex wells

to be drilled and completed, and some

of these wells now reach lengths in ex-

cess of 2,000 metres. today, hydraulic

fracturing is often credited as one of the

key technologies responsible for extend-

ing the potential supply of Canada’s un-

conventional energy resources by over

100 years.

the technology of hydraulic fractur-

ing is very complex, and so it’s no won-

der there is a growing public interest in

how the technology works and the im-

pacts of modern-day oil and gas opera-

tions using the technology. With indus-

try relying heavily on hydraulic fractur-

hydrauliC fraCturing Code of ConduCt: industry’s CoMMitMent to Canadians


ing, there was a need to respond to and

inform Canadians about this technol-

ogy and the regulations surrounding it.

With that goal in mind, the Petroleum

Services Association of Canada (PSAC)

and 11 of its members who conduct

these operations launched the Working

energy Commitment in February 2013.

this initiative outlined a set of guid-

ing principles under which PSAC mem-

bers conduct themselves. by supporting

this initiative, companies pledged to

communicate with communities, con-

tinuously improve how they develop

Canada’s oil and gas resources, and to

create a hydraulic fracturing code of

conduct. And this is exactly what they

did.

the guiding principles attached to

the Working energy Commitment set

the framework for discussions with

residents in local communities across

Western Canada where the industry is

active, with a specific focus on listening

and responding to questions and con-

cerns related to hydraulic fracturing. A

six-month series of community engage-

ment sessions were held across Western

Canada, and PSAC had the chance to

meet with more than 100 local commu-

nity residents including landowners,

local business, and local government.

Representatives from provincial regu-

lators, producer companies, and other

upstream associations joined PSAC to

provide an overview of industry opera-

tions and the world-class regulatory re-

gime here in Canada. In addition, PSAC

used the opportunity to seek out input

and feedback that was then used to in-

form the development of a hydraulic

fracturing code of conduct.

Community engagement sessions

were held in: Dawson Creek, british

Columbia; Drayton Valley, Lethbridge,

Grande Prairie and Red Deer, Alberta;

Carlyle, Saskatchewan; and brandon,

Manitoba. In addition, PSAC returned

to several communities to ask for addi-

tional feedback on the code of conduct

in its draft form.

PSAC’s president and CEo Mark

Salkeld explained the relevance of the

Working energy Commitment.

“Working closely with stakeholders is

critical to building trust in oil and gas

operations,” he said. “We’ve seen public

concern surrounding hydraulic fractur-

ing operations increase over the past

years. It was definitely time to address

that in a proactive and positive way, but

we knew talking to community mem-

bers wasn’t going to be enough. We had

to act. that’s why we developed the hy-

draulic Fracturing Code of Conduct.”

After completing this intensive en-

gagement program, PSAC released the

hydraulic Fracturing Code of Conduct

for the Canadian oil and gas service sec-

tor on october 30, 2013. this code is

a significant milestone for Canada’s oil

and gas services sector, as the 11 mem-

ber companies who partnered in the

development of the code have volun-

tarily agreed to follow it, wherever they

work in Canada.

the hydraulic Fracturing Code of

Conduct outlines standard practices

for sound technical and environmental

performance when fracturing a well and

defines mutual expectations for work-

ing with stakeholders. the code also in-

cludes a series of commitments focused

on five key areas of their operations:

water and the environment; fracturing

fluid disclosure; technology develop-

ment; health, safety and training; and,

community engagement. the code cap-

tures the common operating practices

amongst the 11 endorsing companies,

as well as their commitment to con-

tinuous improvement in their technical

and environmental performance.

Endorsing companies:

• BakerHughesCanada

• CalfracWellServices

• CanyonTechnicalServices

• ElementTechnicalServices

• GasfracEnergyServices

• HalliburtonGroupCanada

• IronHorseEnergyServices

• MillenniumStimulationServices

• SanjelCorporation

• SchlumbergerCanada

• TricanWellService

“this code is about improving com-

munications with local communities

in an effort to enhance transparency in

our operations, and build greater pub-

lic trust in our members’ commitment

to ensuring the safe operations of our

industry,” added Salkeld.

PSAC is the national trade associa-

tion representing nearly 250 of Cana-

da’s leading service, supply and manu-

facturing companies in the upstream

industry. Members employ more than

75,000 people and contract almost ex-

clusively to exploration and production

companies.

For more information about PsaC and the

Hydraulic Fracturing Code of Conduct,

please visit oilandgasinfo.ca. S

by supporting this initiative, companies pledged to communicate with communities, continuously improve how they develop Canada’s oil and gas resources, and to create a

hydraulic fracturing code of conduct.


the bC Energy Plan has stated in

regards to the central and north-

ern interior of the province that,

“the delayed evaluation and potential

development of these areas is largely

due to geological and physical obstruc-

tions that make it difficult to explore in

the area. Volcanic rocks that overlay the

sedimentary package, combined with

complex basin structures, have hindered

development”.

these hurdles are met head-on with a

thoroughly tested Canadian innovation.

Spatiotemporal Geochemical hydrocar-

bons (SGh) is an innovative and tested

geochemical method with unique capa-

bilities that analyzes surficial samples to

detect a forensic signature of identifica-

tion associated with both conventional

and unconventional oil, gas, and coal

plays. this nanotechnology analyzes

surficial samples from a collected survey

grid to detect the nano-seepage of 162

specific hydrocarbons. the resulting fo-

rensic signature is used for identification

and has been shown to be able to dif-

ferentiate between the possible presence

of buried petroleum-based targets from

geophysical targets of no interest, such as

bodies of granite gneiss and dunite. the

SGh geochemistry directly addresses the

need for easier, more economical explo-

ration in difficult and exotic terrain. A

survey for SGh represents perhaps the

easiest and most unobtrusive sampling

program that can reduce the impact to

even the most sensitive environments to

near zero. A shovel is all that is required

to collect a small sample of a near sur-

eConoMiCal and environMentally resPonsiBle geoCheMiCal Method reduCes PrograM Costs for oil and gas exPloration in diffiCult terrainby d. a. sutherland


face material at each station that can

include soil, sand, glacial till, peat, hu-

mus, etc. thus in difficult terrain, a wide

variety of sample types can be used to

enable the collection of a complete grid

of sample locations to provide the most

ideal representation of the survey area.

In areas that are the most challenging

to access, there is the option to collect

snow samples in a survey using snow-

mobiles.

the SGh results emulate the flux of

hydrocarbons from the target at depth

that self-organize during the migration

through the electrochemical conditions

of the overlying Redox cell in the over-

burden and produce segmented sym-

metrical anomalies. this close associa-

tion to redox conditions, and thus many

geophysical measurements, allows the

prioritization of geophysical programs,

thereby improving the economics of

the overall exploration program. the

advantage of using a nanotechnology is

highlighted in areas of complex geology

and exotic overburden exactly like that

found in british Columbia. the SGh

anomalies obtained and interpreted by

this geochemistry are unaffected by over-

lying features such as sedimentary rock,

clay and basalt caps, and permafrost pre-

viously thought to be impermeable. In

other parts of North America, SGh has

been shown to be a deep-penetrating

geochemistry for oil plays to a depth

of 4,725 metres (15,500 feet) as shown

in Figures 1 and 2. Due to these capa-

bilities, the SGh geochemistry can both

identify the type of target and vectors to

an ideal drill target as the geometric cen-

tre of redox conditions.

over 1,000 SGh surveys have been

completed for the petroleum and min-

eral sectors and this technique has been

proven to be successful in the b.C. en-

vironment through several independent

studies. Activation Laboratories Ltd.

can further assist petroleum sector cli-

ents with the latest detailed analysis of

biomarkers and diamondoids to help

geochemists infer source rock thermal

maturity, lithology, depositional envi-

ronment, organic matter input, and age.

Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs)

is a global company with a local pres-

ence. With branch laboratories in Stewart

and Kamloops, british Columbia, our

family of 30 laboratories in 14 countries

with our 25-plus years of experience and

ISo 17025 accredited procedures, help

clients in Canada and around the world.

d.a. sutherland is a forensic scientist and

the organics manager and director of research

at activation laboratories ltd. He can be

reached at [email protected]. S

Figure 2: 3-d view of symmetrical sgH anomaly shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Five member sgH segmented halo anomaly approximates redox zone having an sgH Petroleum signature. outline agrees with structure defined by subsequent seismic work.

High-Resolution Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectroscopy in the

C12-C44 Carbon Range for Petroleum Exploration

PAH/PNA AnalysisAnalysis of n-alkane DistributionBiomarker and Thiophene Analysis

Diamondoid AnalysisDiamondoid/Biomarker PackagesSGH Geochemistry

Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs)Phone: 1.905.648.9611

[email protected] www.actlabs.com


As british Columbia’s LNG sector

ramps up, workers are travelling

further afield and farther away

from community-based ambulance sta-

tions. As the number of remote workers

increases, so do the risks of sudden med-

ical conditions and trauma emergencies

requiring rapid paramedic care and in-

tervention.

What was once the domain of am-

bulances located in major centres such

as Vancouver, Kamloops, and Kelowna,

paramedics in industry are rapidly trans-

forming the way care is delivered in the

oil and gas sector. british Columbia-

based LIFESuPPoRt Emergency Medi-

cal Services is an industry leader in de-

ploying paramedics around the world

– often in support of complex medical

evacuation missions for ill and injured

workers, executives, and tourists.

the benefits of transitioning british

Columbia towards a paramedic-fo-

cused level of care in the resource sec-

tor are obvious, says Graham William-

son, CEo of LIFESuPPoRt Emergency

Medical Services, himself a licensed

paramedic.

“We are able to bring the latest emer-

gency medical treatment protocols and

procedures directly to the worksite,” he

says, adding that paramedics operating

under advanced standing written orders

issued by their medical director can act

to treat a variety of conditions. “Folks

think of paramedics as responding only

to major traumatic emergencies, how-

ever, many calls that paramedics in the

resource sector respond to are not only

related to trauma – paramedics have

the drugs and equipment necessary to

quickly react to a variety of medical

emergencies, including chest pain and

heart attacks, diabetic emergencies and

allergic reactions.”

A significant percentage of the work-

force in remote camp environments

live and work with pre-existing medical

conditions, such as heart disease and

diabetes, and paramedics are trained to

treat these conditions if an emergency

arises. by transitioning from a first-aid

model of care, where the skills of an

oFA 3 attendant are limited, and fo-

cused primarily on traumatic injuries,

resource companies in british Colum-

bia’s oil and gas sector are able to en-

sure their remote workforces are cov-

ered by skilled, licensed professionals

who are located directly on site, rather

than waiting for a traditional ambu-

lance to respond from the nearest com-

munity – often several hours away.

ParaMediCs re-shaPing eMergenCy Care in British ColuMBia’s oil and gas seCtor


“the benefits are obvious with minimal

cost implications,” says Williamson.

LIFESuPPoRt’s paramedics treat and

transport over 2,000 patients per year,

both within british Columbia and around

the globe, including missions to hostile ar-

eas, such as Afghanistan. Agreements with

WorkSafe bC allow paramedics to fill dual

roles – both as the on-site first-aid atten-

dant, as required by legislation, and as an

emergency medical professional, who is

licensed by the Ministry of health.

LIFESuPPoRt Emergency Medical Ser-

vices is leading the way in integrating para-

medic care into b.C.’s oil and gas sector.

“Paramedics are healthcare profession-

als – not only do they fill the role of first-

aid attendant and emergency responder,

but they offer value-added services, such

as being able to tend to lumps, bumps

and minor injuries.” Value is added when

paramedics are able to administer potent

pain medications to fracture and burn pa-

tients, as well as drugs to control nausea.

“Not only is life-saving care provided by

the paramedic on scene, but they can pro-

vide symptom relief and comfort to their

patient while transporting them to defini-

tive care.”

Paramedics work directly under written

authorization from their medical director

– a licensed physician hired by the com-

pany to provide clinical oversight, using

written treatment guidelines. the physi-

cian medical director is also available by

telephone to supply advice in certain com-

plex circumstances.

In addition to hiring licensed paramed-

ics to work on its fleet of industrial am-

bulances and mobile treatment centres,

LIFESuPPoRt EMS has recently com-

pleted the full integration of its dedicated

fixed-wing air ambulance resources with

its mobile EMS program. Paramedics in

the field – with a simple text message to

LIFESuPPoRt’s dispatch centre, can acti-

vate a Vancouver-based fixed-wing air am-

bulance and critical care transport teams

for major trauma conditions, such as head

injuries and burns. this valuable tool en-

sures that patients in the field make it to

trauma centres as quickly as possible, thus

increasing the likelihood of survival.

For more information on

liFesuPPort’s paramedic programs,

visit www.lng-eMs.com,

or call 250-947-9641. S


As Canada continues to emerge as a world leader in

energy, oil and gas (o&G) industry participants are

faced with divergent challenges ranging from cost

pressures and volatile commodity prices, to regulatory and

environment pressures. For companies to thrive in today’s

competitive marketplace, the effective implementation of

analytics is critical to understanding customers, markets, sup-

pliers and efficiently deploying resources, which ultimately

impact financial performance. but what are analytics exactly,

and what are analytics tools? how can it help your company?

Gartner, one of the world’s leading information technology

research and advisory companies defines analytics as “lever-

aging data in a particular functional process or application

to enable context-specific insight that is actionable” (Kirk,

2006). Analytical tools are the applications used to organize,

communicate, and transform data into information so that

insights can be inferred. there are different classes of analyti-

cal tools, including business intelligence (bI) tools, predictive

analytics, and enterprise performance management (EPM)

software.

o&G companies already capture a plethora of data, an asset

of untapped potential. Advances in technology, such as data-

based in-memory platforms like SAP hANA, allows for real-

time processing of a large quantum of data, enabling com-

panies to detect trends, anticipate behaviours, and respond

quickly with their actions. Companies are deploying analyti-

cal tools to broaden and deepen analysis, speed up existing

processes, and take planning and forecasting to new levels

with advanced simulations.

A recent Performance Analytics project demonstrates how

these analytical tools can provide a gas company with an ad-

vantage in a dynamic environment. the project was for the

energy supply division of a gas company, which forecasts gas

costs and performs price scenario simulations as the market

price of gas fluctuates.

Performance Analytics helped by implementing an EPM so-

lution – SAP business Planning and Consolidation – which

successfully reduced the company’s forecasting cycle time.

Furthermore, the software provides the company with insight

into data by allowing its energy supply team to analyze the

impact of price changes to gas costs incurred and recovery

rates. With this fresh insight, the company uses bPC to model

strategies under consideration before taking action for rate

setting.

In another gas company project, Performance Analytics

implemented SAP business Planning and Consolidation and

SAP Disclosure Management solutions in the finance depart-

ment. the solution is being used to expedite the monthly fi-

nancial close and the external reporting processes. A financial

reporting consolidation cycle that had previously taken over

one day is now automated and completed in about an hour

with strengthened controls. With efficiencies gained by de-

ploying these software solutions, finance professionals now

redirect their time on value-added analysis of the business.

the aforementioned projects highlight how analytical

tools in the form of EPM solutions can help companies re-

spond to business challenges. o&G companies are awash

with field data, logistics and customer information that can

be harnessed by analytical tools to help executives deal with

the complexities of today’s business environment. Whether

you are considering business intelligence, predictive analyt-

ics, consolidation, planning, or forecasting for your analytics

strategy, look to Performance Analytics for a custom solution.

Performance analytics Corporation is a boutique financial

analytics firm, specializing in business planning and consolidation

with operations throughout north america. they assist in

implementing and advising on financial management systems.

www.performanceanalytics.com/

For further information, please contact Michael Matrick,

managing partner, (604) 506-6965.

Sources:

Kirk, J. (2006, February 7). infoWorld. Retrieved August 4,

2014, from InfoWorld: http://www.infoworld.com/t/data-

management/analytics-buzzword-needs-careful-defini-

tion-567 S

analytiCs in the oil and gas industryby Connie shepherd, CPa CMa

advances in technology, such as data-based in-memory platforms like saP Hana,

allows for real-time processing of a large quantum of data, enabling companies to detect trends, anticipate behaviours, and

respond quickly with their actions.

TUMBLER RIDGE





Lasting Impressions









TUMBLER RIDGE





Lasting Impressions










Imagine this:

It’s mid-December. You’re on site in

northern Alberta, and you just logged

on to a videoconference with the Calgary

office. Meanwhile, site medical techni-

cians are downloading documents from

their company intranet site. Your cross

shift is on Facetime, meeting his new

nephew, and the well-site data system is

running an update.

Everything is running concurrently and

smoothly. Seem unrealistic? Not anymore.

toG’s newest innovative technology

offers an integrated system for managing

Internet service on remote sites. the Inte-

grated Communications System (ICS) is

a complete network that brings a new and

very high level of bandwidth availability,

site visibility, and management capabili-

ties.

Access to high-capacity Internet net-

works is relatively easy in urban centres

through a variety of means such as fiber or

DSL. bringing this same level of Internet

to remote sites is much harder and has the

potential to be very cost prohibitive.

toG’s goal was to find a way to incor-

porate any and all sources of Internet into

one pipe, bringing a level of redundancy

and reliability that can’t be achieved with

any single source.

“We wanted the flexibility to combine

any number of sources available in an area

and the ability to utilize the entire band-

width stream of the combined sources,

which would allow the bandwidth inten-

sive applications to run smoothly,” Walter

Nordhagen, toG’s president, who found-

ed the company, explains.

this is becoming more important as

the applications on “smart rigs” become

more bandwidth intensive. “Every Internet

source has both benefits and drawbacks;

the trick is to be aware of the different

aspects of each source and to utilize the

positive facets of each while minimizing

any risk,” states Nordhagen.

Satellite can be deployed anywhere and

is often a primary communication source

on site because of its dependability. the

cost associated with satellite bandwidth

tog systeMs takes teleCoMMuniCation reliaBility to the next level with the introduCtion of their new integrated CoMMuniCations systeMtog does more than just provide telecommunication systems, they create them

tog systems fleet.

Walter nordhagen, president of tog systems.


has traditionally been high, and as such

has always been limited on the end sites.

these limitations restrict both the number

of users and the number of applications

that run simultaneously or concurrently.

As reliable as satellite is – and it is quite re-

liable – it has the potential for issues, like

anything else.

“A satellite is vulnerable to atmospheric

conditions, because the site you set up

on is only one part of the equation. You

have your site, you have the actual ‘bird in

the sky’, and then you have the teleport

hub, which could be halfway across the

country or in the u.S., depending which

satellite you’re on,” says Nordhagen. Vola-

tile weather in Montreal may cause issues

at an Alberta site, just like local weather

could.

Cellular data is being used more and

more, can be cost effective and is becom-

ing more readily available in even the

more remote areas of Canada. the draw-

back to cellular is that it can be vulnerable

to seasonal overloading in active drilling

areas, making it unreliable during heavy

usage times.

toG has integrated multiple sources

with a sophisticated combination of

hardware and software that makes clients

less vulnerable to failure through flexible

mixed-source networks.

toG’s ICS combines multiple Internet

sources into one larger Internet connec-

tion that is distributed together through

a meshed network utilizing high-perfor-

mance multi-radio routing protocols.

What this does for clients is provide a

high level of redundancy and failover not

conventionally seen in the industry. If one

source goes down, all systems continue to

run uninterrupted. the ICS allows toG to

combine up to 12 Internet connections

into one large pipe to service any size site.

“Any time we can provide redundancy

by aggregating different sources, we make

that site more secure,” says Nordhagen.

the system has enterprise-grade fire-

wall and advanced security features, and it

provides layer-7 application visibility and

traffic shaping, allowing toG to remotely

manage sites right down to the individual

user. toG can remotely adjust the load

balance, change the source preferences, or

even manage users or programs based on

company specifications.

Effective network monitoring allows

toG to respond proactively to analysis

rather than reactively to issues. that means

instead of you calling your provider to re-

port problems, toG may call you to re-

port modifications that are keeping your

business functioning. the ability to effec-

tively manage a site remotely means fewer

service calls, and saves time and money.

Another cost-saving feature for clients is

the ability to have all site vendors access

the same Internet system. toG can serve

multiple clients or vendors on the same

site, without the need for multiple systems

or service providers.

“this technology has a lot more flexibil-

ity and expandability than traditional sys-

tems,” says Nordhagen. “We can expand

the product to handle a variety of needs

and increase the number of users. For ex-

ample, the well-site data system provider

can run their data seamlessly on toG’s

ICS system.”

As the landscape of remote sites contin-

ues to change, you can expect toG to stay

ahead of the game, continuing to come up

with new ways to keep both businesses

and people connected. S

tog systems portable tower remote-site set up.


before starting Canadian Pump & Compressor, president

owen Myhre had worked since 2004 in the oil field,

taking care of the most important asset to the opera-

tion of any oil field: the pumps. the company he has since

built is involved in the rental, sale and service of a wide variety

of pumps, generators, light towers, filtration, and associated

rental equipment.

In the beginning, it was rather a rough start. Myhre prac-

tically lived in his truck with his laptop and phone, moving

around from job to job in a timely manner on the remote and

sometimes dangerous roads of Western Canada. his customers

relied on him to ensure the proper operation of the pumps that

would keep their operations going.

Even though there were some challenging times, by the begin-

ning of January 2012, Myhre was able to open his first branch of

Canadian Pump & Compressor in Nisku, Alberta and, by July of

that year, had opened a second in Grande Prairie.

“I thought that there was a robust market for our products

and services in Canada. the opportunity to start this business

came through my network, and I was able to find a solid finan-

cial backer. It was just the right timing to start this business,”

explains Myhre.

the trend continued and a few months later, in November,

yet another branch was opened in Vancouver, british Columbia

followed by a fourth branch in Calgary, Alberta, this past May.

“to date, from the start of the company, we’ve done busi-

ness with over 140 customers in Alberta and british Colum-

bia,” he says. Canadian Pump & Compressor, headquartered

in Calgary, Alta. is affiliated with National Pump & Compres-

sor, which is headquartered in beaumont, tX, and through that

partnership, has over 30 service centres throughout the united

States as well. through this affiliation, the team is able to offer

unmatched support and service on both sides of the border.

Although the company’s expansion has been rapid, manage-

ment has been careful to grow organically, without taking any

risks of becoming unsustainable.

today, the company has grown to over 20 employees, and

each service centre includes a business development special-

ist, at least one mechanic, and one rental coordinator. the

mechanic is responsible for maintaining the equipment and

keeping it to specifications with a 51-point checklist; Myhre

feels that the standard to which all of the rental equipment

is maintained differentiates the company from its competi-

tion. the rest of the team comprises drivers, electricians, field

installers and management who also offer sales and assistance

to clients. the company also has a fabrication facility in Alberta

where it manufactures its own brand of diesel pumps, which

are, Myhre proudly announces, “the highest performance cen-

trifugal pump that is available on the market, for a very com-

petitive price. our products have applicability across many,

many business sectors and we’ve done business literally from

Vancouver to baffin Island in the short time that we have been

in business.”

When the company began, its focus was on diesel pumps

from Pioneer Pump – a private-label submersible pump line –

small generators and a small range of light towers. Since then,

the company has seen a great deal of demand for larger genera-

tors and larger submersible pumps. the team was able to meet

those demands by adding more power to its product line.

“We have a lot more big power in our fleet then we did when

we started,” he explains. “We also have a more diverse range of

pumps; we now carry small sump pumps for residences, small

gas pumps for the construction industry. We started off with

around 50 units in our rental fleet and we now have over 500

units for rent.”

In fact, the company is the primary rental distributor for Pi-

oneer Pump in Canada. “the Pioneer pump is a real game-

changing pump,” Myhre says. “It is a centrifugal diesel pump

that we package here in Canada, and is proving to be much

more hydraulically efficient than other pumps on the market.

this means clients are able to get more flow and pressure while

using less energy, making it a more efficient way of pumping.”

other examples of more efficient pumping systems are the

bbA well-point pumps, of which Canadian Pump & Compres-

sor and National Pump & Compressor have the exclusive rights

to sell in North America.

Canadian Pump & Compressor also performs many turnkey

installations for clients in the field. For example, when a mu-

unMatChed in serviCe and suPPortCanadian Pump & Compressorby dave Côté

today, the company has grown to over 20 employees, and each service

centre includes a business development specialist, at least one mechanic, and

one rental coordinator.


nicipal pumping installation needs to be upgraded, the compa-

ny can deal with the project from top to bottom. this includes

the piping, the electrical, and the proper pumps for the volume

of water or sewage. All contractors chosen for turnkey work are

experienced in the industry and are known as being able to

produce quality, hassle-free work.

Canadian Pump & Compressor has high expectations for its

staff, focusing on teamwork and getting anyone with multiple

talents to lend a hand wherever it may be needed. there is no

job too tough (or too dirty) for any member of the staff; even

the company owner will get his hands dirty when he is needed.

the company has the ability to react to the changing demands

of its clients, even if it means purchasing a large amount of

brand new equipment. With the slogan, “Whatever you want.

Whenever you need it. Whatever it takes”, Canadian Pump &

Compressor strives to take customer service to the next level as

it focuses on delivering value from all the areas of the business.

Canadian Pump & Compressor plans to continue building

its strong presence in the oil and gas industry, municipal mar-

kets, sewer bypass markets, construction, pipeline construc-

tion, mining and agriculture, as well as continuing to expand

the business through building relationships with its customers.

“We don’t take any business for granted, and we are just ex-

tremely aggressive about how we go after the market,” Myhre

shares. “Which takes us back to our tagline – the ‘whatever it

takes’ philosophy that is on the back of every one of our busi-

ness cards.”

Previously published in the november 2013 issue of business in Fo-

cus magazine. reprinted with permission. S

© 2014 United Rentals, Inc.

Doing whatever it takes to help get the job done.

UnitedRentals.com/Pumps | 800.UR.RENTS

Following our recent acquisition of the second largest pump rental company in North America, United Rentals has further expanded its specialty offerings to meet customers’ diverse

business needs. Our team is proud to provide the best equipment, tools and solutions in the industry.

You’re building the future. We’re here to help.™

Aerial | Earthmoving | Material Handling | PumpsPower & HVAC | Trench Safety | Tools | Technology

Canadian Pump & Compressor has high expectations for its staff, focusing on teamwork and getting anyone with multiple talents to lend a hand wherever it may be needed.

there is no job too tough (or too dirty) for any member of the staff; even the company owner will get his hands dirty when he is needed.


My first day on the job, Colin

Schmidt, vice-president of

terraPro, looked at me and

said, “In one aspect, what we do is easy,

we put wood on dirt. on the other side

of the coin, what we do is hard. Anyone

can put wood on dirt but we need to stay

ahead of the competition in every aspect

of the game so we can keep our custom-

ers loyal.”

terraPro provides market-leading ter-

rain protection and remote-access prod-

ucts and services for the energy sector in

Canada and around the world. the com-

pany started out in 2007 with a loader,

a few hundred mats, and a lot of long

days. Getting that “wood on dirt” for

customers when and where they needed

was what terraPro built their name on.

When word got around that terraPro

did what they said they would do, more

customers came calling. the company

was able to purchase more inventory,

equipment, and build more experienced

crews.

Flash forward a couple years. terra-

Pro is still working long days but began

to become “innovators of mud”. the

company pressed hard on the gas pedal

with what is known as “limited partner-

ship”. Investors were able to invest in the

purchase of mat inventory and receive

a healthy return from the rental rates

charged out on those mats. this allowed

the company to build up their inventory

quickly and take a bigger bite into the

market.

Staying ahead of the competition is

the key to the success of the company

from the people terraPro hires, the

product we provide, and the pricing we

charge. the company has continually

tried to hire not only the best people

laying the mats in the field, but also

the very best people to support what

is happening in the field through ac-

countants, mechanics, sales, inventory

and right down to the person answering

the phone. In 2011, the company was

named one of Canada’s top new com-

panies (No. 15) by Profit magazine; in

2012, it was named one of Canada’s fast-

est growing companies (No. 9), again in

2013 (No. 4), and has just been awarded

the number-four fastest-growing com-

pany again for 2014 by Profit magazine.

being an “innovator in mud” in the

highly competitive energy industry may

not sound glamorous, but terraPro con-

tinues to lead the way.

“We’re buying the best equipment

that is out there to be reliable on the

site. We’re making a high-density com-

posite mat and selling it not only local-

ly but into the international markets,”

says Schmidt. Last year, the company

also built a state-of-the-art mat-washing

plant from the ground up that hasn’t

turned off since it first fired up. they

also developed an inventory tracking

computer program that not only is be-

ing used by terraPro to track mats from

job to job, but some of the largest en-

ergy companies in Canada are using it

as well. As Schmidt considers the future

of terraPro, he states, “the company

has developed relationships that go far

beyond a mat job with our customers.

We are trying to grow a culture within

the company that says that it’s not just

about putting ‘wood on dirt’, but one

that gets to know our customers, cares

for its employees, and give back to the

community that we’re working in …

but as soon as we get comfortable, is

the day we become the second phone

call instead of the first.”

Find terraPro at www.terraprogroup.com

1.855.255.6287

[email protected] S

Mud innovationby blain davis

855.255.MATS (6287) toll free www.terraprogroup.com

Temporary Roadways and Work Surfaces for the Resource Industry

INNOVATION

2012

200

PRODUCTWe source the highest quality product for sale and rent with several staging yards all over

western Canada.

PEOPLEWe work to clearly understand

your needs, confirm our understanding with you and then go about our business

delivering the solution.

PRICINGWe strive to offer you the

greatest value for your matting dollar.

MAT TRACKINGWe can help you know where

your mats are anytimeand anywhere.

• Oak• Hybrid• Fir• CLT• Rig mats• Composite• Tanks

• Experienced crews• Safe• Professional• Courteous

• Fair• Competitive• Predictable

• Online• Real time• Customized reporting

Corporate Office#200 Brentwood Professional Place48 Brentwood BoulevardSherwood Park, AB T8A 2H5

855.255.MATS (6287) toll freeEmail: [email protected]

A portion of Mat Rental revenue goes to support Breast Cancer research.


In 2010, LandSea entered into the re-

mote camp and catering market led

by Michael Coyne, marine accom-

modation and catering specialist with 17

years of past experience operating first-

class resorts and workforce camps on the

coast of b.C.

From a modest three camps in 2010,

LandSea has grown to manage multiple

projects in all sectors year-round. Land-

Sea provides turnkey solutions, estab-

lishing modular land-based and floating

camps for projects in the oil and gas, re-

newable energy, major construction, and

mining sectors across Western Canada.

Working from the ground level up,

LandSea and the developer or prime

contractor will design a specific accom-

modation and catering package to meet

the projects’ needs. this process flows

through a system starting with land de-

velopment and site permitting all the

way to full camp mobilization. LandSea

provides a fundamental construction

component and manages all aspects

of ongoing operations throughout the

project to ensure that both the client and

their workers receive the highest level of

customer care.

LandSea is equipped and prepared to

meet the growing demands of the ac-

commodation and catering supply re-

quired to serve the oil and gas workforce

industry in Northern Canada. this past

year, LandSea has been operating four

floating camps in the Prince Rupert area

for mining and marine projects, as well

as servicing major oil and gas companies

in Northern b.C. and Alberta. LandSea is

capable of providing floating workforce

camps to coastal LNG projects and land-

based modular camps servicing both

pipeline construction and drilling pro-

grams.

LandSea is proud to be in partnership

with several First Nations throughout the

province, and has established long-term

relationships encouraging sustainable

economic development, subcontract op-

portunities, job training and education,

and ultimately, growing capacity for

these local communities.

this year, LandSea launched “Step-

ping Stones”, a camp catering and ac-

commodation services training program

aimed at supporting youth or entry-level

workers to gain positions at remote

camps. upon successful completion of

the course, students will have a basic un-

derstanding of the remote camp indus-

try and will have developed the skills re-

quired to gain immediate employment.

on LandSea’s horizon includes ex-

panding existing operations in Fort St.

John and a calculated endeavour into

the oil and gas market in Alberta. Land-

Sea will provide turnkey solutions to

some of the hundreds of medium-sized

projects coming up over the next few

years.

“What we create is an environment

where crews look forward to coming

back, whether it be at the end of their

day or after their break,” says Michael

Coyne. “LandSea hires staff based on

high qualifications, but more impor-

tantly, on their guest service experience

to ensure the guests staying with us are

genuinely comfortable and feel well tak-

en care of.”

LandSea’s commitment to conquer-

ing unique challenges, engagement in

communities, and the ability to work

in many different industries are just a

few reasons why LandSea has become a

proficient remote camp service provider.

With the oil and gas industry flourish-

ing, an abundance of newly proposed

clean energy, mining and construction

projects, LandSea looks forward to con-

tinued success on land or sea. S

landsea CaMP serviCes: Providing your reMote aCCoMModation and Catering solutions


A DIVISION OF ALPHA SAFETY LTD.

FIELD MEDIC AND H2S SUPERVISION

8703 - 101 AvenueFort St. John, BC, V1J 2A5PH: 250-785-7035E: [email protected]

TRAINING FIRST AID, H2S, INDUSTRIAL,DRIVER & OUTDOOR COURSES

9803 102 Street,Fort St. John, BC V1J 4B3PH: 250-787-9315 | FAX: 250-787-8839E: [email protected]

TOLL FREE 888 413 3477

24 HOUR DISPATCH 1 855 870 1199

www.alphasafety.net

www.alpha-training.ca

“Man down! Man down!” there are few things you will hear on a jobsite

that induce the instant adrenaline rush and requirement for action than these words evoke. Whether it’s a diabetic with low blood sugar, an h2S gas emergency, or equipment malfunction, an immediate response is required. Depending on the emergency and the worksite, a first-aid at-tendant and/or an h2S safety supervisor is likely to respond in accordance with the ERP in place. You entrust your life and the lives of your coworkers to the profession-als hired to respond in times of emergen-cy, and rightly so. unfortunately the truth is, as in most industries, that levels of com-petence can vary greatly. At Alpha Safety we believe that prior preparation is the key to success in an emergency. All our medics receive on-the-job training with an experienced medic

before we send them out in the field. they are coached through the many dif-ferent scenarios they may encounter in the field, and have 24-hour access to pro-fessional medical staff should a situation arise where they have questions regard-ing a critical treatment. they are taught to drive for the road conditions, and are not sent out to a jobsite until they have met all of the performance requirements. We also cross-train our medics in seismic, ser-vice rig, drill rig, construction, mining, gas plants and forestry. ultimately we focus on hiring medics who are progressive in training, and are passionate about what they do. We avoid high-turnover rates, and work hard to keep a loyal and successful team of medics. Alpha Safety accomplishes this by focus-ing on delivering an effective service, and managing growth at a responsible rate. In the event that emergency personnel

are not immediately available to respond

to an emergency, do you and your cowork-

ers have the training necessary to save the

life of an injured worker, or do you know

what to do in case of an h2S incident?

Alpha training Solutions, a division of

Alpha Safety Ltd., is the largest, privately

owned safety training company in North-

ern british Columbia, with as many as

8,000 students annually. It is located in

Fort St. John, b.C., but is also capable of

providing on-site courses to remote com-

munities and facilities.

Alpha training Solutions has been es-

tablished in Fort St. John for over 15 years,

and provides qualified instructors with life

experience in what they teach.

Alpha Safety Ltd. and Alpha training

Solutions – train for life and reduce the

impact of risk and liability on your work-

site – prior preparation does pay! S

Prior PreParationby sarah Conkin, alpha safety ltd.


over our first decade of full com-

mercial sales, Flexpipe Systems

has enjoyed enormous growth

with our corrosion-resistant pipelining

system. the proven reliability of our

products has them used in numerous oil

and gas service applications. over the last

couple of years a new trend has emerged

using spoolable composite pipeline ma-

terials in trenchless pipelining projects.

the major drivers are increased stake-

holder concerns around land clearing,

ground disturbances and construction

remediation. the advent of low tillage

and no tillage farming techniques means

farmers aren’t remediating residual low

spots from pipeline trenches; instead,

they are damaging their valuable equip-

ment. In some sensitive areas, disrup-

tions of the landscape can cause breaks

in eco-systems and migratory paths that

take decades to recover. there are greater

regulatory burdens and costs to clearing

forested land and managing waste. the

cost and level of complexity associated

with even small-diameter pipelining

projects is growing exponentially. the

answer for an increasing number of Fl-

expipe clients is to forego digging alto-

gether.

In the past, trenchless technologies, al-

ternately known as horizontal direction-

al drilling (hDD), were typically used for

the shortest distance possible under an

obstacle like a road or a body of water.

From a cost point of view, hDD was only

seen as a viable alternative to traditional

methods in high-density areas, but the

economics of hDD are improving con-

siderably. Recently, we’ve seen Flexpipe

customers adopt hDD for large por-

tions, or in some cases, entire gathering

systems.

An ongoing example is a Flexpipe cli-

ent pipelining near community pasture

land in Saskatchewan. It became appar-

ent that disturbing this pasture land was

going to be extremely difficult or impos-

sible, so the producer asked for and re-

ceived permission to hDD beneath the

pasture. over the last six months, nearly

90 kilometres of Flexpipe product has

been installed without disturbing any

of the protected area. Last year in North

Central Alberta, a producer was having

trouble finding affordable, timely, safe

and environmentally acceptable land-

clearing services. the answer was an

hDD installation of over 70 kilometres

of gathering and water injection systems.

A particular source of pride to this client

was that the low-impact trenchless tech-

nique actually cost them less than tradi-

tional pipelining methods. the project

was an environmental showcase for the

producer.

Almost any pipelining material can

be used for hDD, but Flexpipe offers

some key advantages. A spoolable prod-

uct means hundreds, even thousands,

of metres can be placed on a very small

piece of land. Stick products require a

large drag area to assemble prior to being

pulled back by the drill stem. Flexpipe

has a particularly strong fitting system al-

lowing for reels of pipe to be connected

together above ground then pulled sub-

surface without reducing maximum pull

forces. In favourable soil, one customer

successfully pulled over two kilometres

of Flexpipe in one run. It would be a rare

landowner who would choose several

days of a large crew pipelining across

their land over drill pits 2,000 metres

apart.

All in all, hundreds of kilometres of

Flexpipe have been installed with mini-

mal ground disturbance, whether as a

remediation method using failed steel

lines as conduit or taking advantage of

the latest advancements in hDD to pull

vast distances with tiny ground distur-

bance. Working closely with our clients

and their contactors, Flexpipe has built a

strong practice in this exciting technolo-

gy and see it as one of our largest growth

areas for the future. S

flexPiPe systeMs as a tool in low-iMPaCt PiPeliningby glynn Pearson, Mba – account manager, Flexpipe systems

a reel of FlexPipe linepipe being pulled across a community pasture. PHOTO By J.MAPLETOFT, FLEXPIPE SySTEMS.

fl expipesystems.com

Flexpipe Systems’ spoolable composite linepipe products are ideal for use in Canada. Operating temperatures of up to 82°C, fl exibility and minimal equipment requirements make Flexpipe Systems the answer to your next pipeline project.

CORROSION-RESISTANT LINEPIPE

SC_Flexpipe_BCOG_080514-2.indd 1 2014-08-05 3:20 PM


V.E. brandl Ltd. is a family-owned

business based in Fort St. John,

b.C. that has been delivering

quality service, equipment and earth-

moving expertise to the oilfield con-

struction industry in northeastern b.C.,

northwestern Alberta, and the Yukon

since 1961. A respected name in the in-

dustry, V.E. brandl has built an outstand-

ing reputation over the years, priding

itself not only on the quality of its work,

but also on its integrity and concern for

employee safety and the environment.

originally founded by Vic brandl, sons

barry, Ron, and Kevin are now running

the company.

V.E. brandl has approximately 90 em-

ployees, many of them long term, and its

supervisors and operators bring a wealth

of experience to the job. In addition to its

people, V.E. brandl’s large fleet of mod-

ern equipment gives them the ability

to handle a wide range of projects. V.E.

brandl maintains its fleet of equipment

according to one of the most thorough

maintenance programs in the industry in

order to prevent downtime on job sites.

When maintenance or repairs need to be

done in the field they have six fully rigged

service trucks, which are able to be mobi-

lized quickly to deal with the issue.

V.E. brandl also prides itself on its

commitment to safety. In its recent an-

nual Certificate of Recognition (CoR)

audit, the company scored the rarely

awarded perfect score of 100 per cent.

V.E. brandl has been innovative in

modifying equipment so that it’s easier

for operators to get on and off our crew

trucks and equipment because over the

years that’s been one of the major causes

of LtA’s. V.E. brandl has modified its ser-

vice truck decks with a flip-out platform

that workers can stand on, so they don’t

have to balance themselves on the tracks

to fuel up. the company has also in-

stalled guardrails at the back of its trucks

to ensure that operators use the proper

steps when climbing in and out of their

service trucks, along with adding steps

and handholds to all of its equipment,

in addition to the ones provided by the

manufacturer.

V.E. brandl also seeks to ensure em-

ployee safety inside its vehicles. In re-

sponse to concerns and documented

cases of people being injured by being

struck by objects inside a vehicle, V.E.

brandl had a local plastics company

build containers which are attached to

the back seat of its crew cabs using the

existing seatbelts along with bolts on the

floor, which allow for objects such as

lunchboxes and thermoses to be secured

during travel. All trucks are equipped

with in-vehicle monitoring systems

which helps track where employees are

at all times, in addition to ensuring that

they drive within the speed limits. V.E.

brandl personnel have taken the AMA

collision avoidance in to further ensure

their safety while on the roads.

With shale gas development, the en-

ergy industry has changed the way it op-

erates, and V.E. brandl has changed with

it. With many multi-well pads measur-

ing 250 metres by 200 metres or larger,

along with larger plant sites and water-

holding ponds, it is no longer efficient

to move the material with dozers as was

the norm in the past. In response, V.E.

brandl has been constantly adding to

their scraper fleet as they have found this

to be the most efficient way to move ma-

terial these distances. the current fleet

consists of 18 Caterpillar motor scrapers,

15 627’s, and three 631’s. In order to fur-

ther increase the efficiency of their crews,

they are now able to offer topcon GPS

control for their motor scrapers, dozers,

excavators and graders, which allows

them to finish projects to precise toler-

ances with greater speed than would

otherwise be possible.

Looking forward, V.E. brandl sees a

long-term future for shale gas in north-

eastern b.C. And the company is looking

forward to serving the energy industry

for many years to come.

Please contact for more information:

v.e. brandl

t: (250) 785-2916

t: (403) 835-2916

e: [email protected]

www.vebrandl.com S

Making the earth Move for over 50 years

• Emerson Net Safety toxic/LEL/ultrasonic & optical flame detection• Emerson Net Safety oil mist/airborne particulate detection• Federal Signal visual and audible signals• Industrial Control Links programmable ethernet SCADA controllers, RTUs, HMI’s and distributed I/O• Sonim intrinsically safe celluar phones• Sensear intrinsically safe communication headsets• Cordex explosion-proof digital cameras

Leading safety instrumentation suppliers

Fort St. John, BCSuite 118, 10704 97 Ave, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 6L7

Phone: (250) 785-8876 | Fax: (250) 785-8788

Calgary, AB 2721 Hopewell Place NE, Calgary AB, T1Y 7J7 Phone: (250) 785-8876 | Fax: (250) 785-8788

Toll Free: 1-888-388-1592 | www.microwatt.com | [email protected]

BCOilandGas2013.indd 1 08/12/2013 1:23:25 PM

1.800.558.0881tastructures.com


Specialized Desanders Inc.’s (for-

merly Specialized tech Inc.) pro-

vides engineered solutions for the

removal of sand and particulate matter

from produced well fluids. Industry ac-

ceptance of its multiphase desanding

equipment has fuelled rapid expansion

of the company’s fleet of patented equip-

ment. With pressure ratings up to 41,370

kPa (6,000 psig), SDI now offers a range

of tILt Desanders from 12 through 24

inches in diameter.

Removing sand without a pressure

drop is one of the many benefits offered

by SDI. temporary separation of the mul-

tiphase flow allows a stratified flow to de-

velop within the desander. Gravity sepa-

ration causes the sand to drop through

the liquid and collect in the desander.

the clean discharge stream then passes

through the chokes, valves and any other

process equipment with reduced risk of

erosion and equipment damage.

SDI’s desanding product line is con-

tinuing to evolve like it has since its in-

troduction to the market in 2001. Larger

units featuring greater capacities and

higher pressure ratings are examples of

this evolution. the current market for

desanders is growing due to the popular-

ity of horizontal, multi-stage stimulated,

liquids-rich gas wells.

Installed at the wellsite, SDI desanders

remove fracturing proppants and pro-

duced sand from the production fluid,

preventing uncontrolled or accidental

releases of hydrocarbons that might oc-

cur with erosion damage. A typical design

targets 95 to 98 per cent removal of all

particulate, 150 microns or larger in di-

ameter. At lower flowrates, particles as

small as 60 microns may be removed

without any filter media. SDI’s engi-

neers model the performance for each

desander installation to ensure that the

equipment chosen will provide optimum

performance over an expected range of

operating conditions.

With the sand removed, the liquid and

gas phases recombine as they leave the

desander, ready to feed into the gathering

infrastructure under pressure. Notably, it

is not necessary to flare early gas produc-

tion in order to remove the sand, yield-

ing higher revenues, as well as achieving

regulatory compliance. Wells can be put

on production sooner, immediately fol-

lowing testing, without concerns about

equipment damage, disturbance to the

environment or nearby land-owners, es-

pecially at sites where production con-

tains hydrogen sulphide (h2S) gas.

SDI desanders function effectively over

a wide range of flowrates. Sized to work

with high initial rates, they are also able

to handle the higher gas phase velocities

that develop as production continues

and flowing pressures drop. this allows

the same equipment to remain in service

despite changing conditions. For wells

with continuing sand production, it is

not uncommon for the desander to be

on the well for extended periods of time,

with some installation durations reach-

ing years.

In 2013, Specialized Desanders Inc.

introduced a patented, tILt desander

with increased sand removal efficiency.

sdi “tilt” desanders range exPandedby Craig Mcdonald P.eng., vice-president, technical services


throughout 2014, the tILt desanders be-

ing added cover several pressure classes

(ANSI 600, 1500 and 2500) and come in

a variety of sizes including 12, 20, and 24

inches in diameter. tILt desanders have

become the new standard design for SDI.

they feature a modified geometry that,

as the name suggests, incorporates an

angled vessel. Computer modeling has

confirmed that the tILt models offer in-

creased operating efficiency. Supported

by more than 15,000 unit-months of

desanding service experience, the propri-

etary engineering design software used to

model desander performance has been

validated and calibrated, ensuring that

the SDI-recommended desander em-

ployed will perform reliably throughout

the expected range of operating condi-

tions.

All tILt desanders are fully NACE-

compliant for use in sour service, and are

fully compatible with SDI’s web-based

Sand Sentry monitoring system.

“With their improved performance, StI

expects its future fleet will predominantly

be tILt desanders”, says Chris hemstock,

president, StI.

Features

• Pressureratings:

o 9,930 to 41,370 kPa

• Temperatureratings:

o – 29°C & -45°C

• ASME Section VIII, div. 1 ABSA-regis-

tered

• NACEMR0175forsourservice

• Nopressuredrop

• Noemissions

• Minimalservice/clean-outtime

• Eliminatesflaring

• Removes sand and other particulates

such as asphalts and free precipitants

• Earlyproduction

• Fracsandcleanup

• Nofreezingissues

• ABSA Pressure Equipment Integrity

Management System (PEIMS)

SPECIALIZED DESANDERS INC. has provided an

engineered solution associated with sand production

in high pressure oil and gas wells since 2001. With SDI’s

equipment, operators save money and keep their wells

producing no matter how challenging the conditions.

[email protected]

Head Office in Calgary, Alberta ........................................... (403) 233-2040Field Offices in Three Hills, Alberta .................................... (403) 443-5453Grande Prairie, Alberta ........................................................ (780) 897-8140Fort St. John, B.C. .................................................................. (250) 793-5140

SPECIALIZED DESANDERS INC.Multiphase Desanding Services

SPECIALIZED DESANDERS INC.Multiphase Desanding Services

www.desanders.com

For more information, contact:

specialized desanders inc., Multiphase desanding services

www.desanders.com • [email protected]

Calgary office: #111, 3355 –114 ave. se, Calgary, alberta t2Z 0K7

Bus: (403) 233-2040 • Fax: (403) 266-0948

Field Offices: Grande Prairie, AB: (780) 897-8140 • Fort St. John, B.C.: (250) 793-5140

three Hills, ab: (403) 443-545 S


Gas Drive is an industry-leader in field operation capa-

bilities with a well-balanced portfolio of after-market

services for gas engine compressors and power genera-

tors, electric power packaging and sales, gas compression and

electric power rental fleet, field and shop retrofit, optimization

services, and operations and maintenance.

our extensive network of over 25 service locations in Canada

and the northern united States allow us to rapidly mobilize

engines, generators, compressors, spare parts and experienced

mechanics to any job site, 24 hours a day, year-round. We have

distribution and manufacturing facilities in Calgary and Leduc,

Alberta; and Denver, Colorado. With access to over $40 million

in on-hand inventory, and more than 200 fully equipped service

trucks, we can be anywhere our customers need us, fast. best of

all, Gas Drive customers gain access to our unmatched knowl-

edge from more than 300 trained and certified mechanics.

Gas Drive is the authorized distributor and service provider of

Waukesha engines and parts in Canada and the Northern united

States, and Jenbacher and MAN engines and parts in Canada. As

well, we are the authorized distributor for Altronic ignition and

controls products in Canada. our product portfolio features gas

engines ranging from 37 kW – 9.5 MW of power designed for

stationary and mobile, continuous duty operations. Known for

their high efficiencies, low emissions, durability and high reli-

ability, these engines run on methane from virtually any source:

system natural gas, biogas, landfill gas, coal bed methane, sew-

age gas, and combustible industrial waste gases.

Gas Drive is capable of being the sole provider from the start

to the finish of the project– providing turnkey solutions to suit

any needs, such as civil work, concrete, steel structure installa-

tion, grid interconnection, generator installation and commis-

sioning. Whatever the job, we always strive for enhanced per-

formance, higher uptime and longer service life to meet design

standards and codes.

From full turnkey solutions to individual packages, Gas Drive

has a variety of offerings such as rentals and retrofit capabilities.

through our rental fleet, customers can rent or lease compres-

sion or electric power equipment, portable compression, flue

gas compression units, and take advantage of the flexibility

and extensive options to optimize their equipment. Gas Drive

is known for our ability to find innovative and cost-effective

ways to modify or upgrade equipment to maximize efficien-

cies through our retrofit offerings, such as re-cylindering, stage

changes, driver change outs, modularization of existing equip-

ment, and sweet-to-sour conversion of existing equipment. No

matter where you need us, our customers will receive excellent

technical and application support whether in the field or at a

Gas Drive facility.

Gas Drive is committed to providing top quality support and

the best engine applications possible throughout the equip-

ment’s life-cycle – from the initial scoping of our customer’s

needs, through the bidding and ordering phases, installation

and commissioning, to years and decades of maintenance,

parts, overhaul or engine exchange and warranty fulfillment. by

working with Gas Drive, our customers are put in the driver’s

seat to decide which integrated solution will meet their needs to

get the job done right and on time. S

a ProMising Partner for a long-terM future

our extensive network of over 25 service locations in Canada and

the northern united states allow us to

rapidly mobilize engines, generators,

compressors, spare parts and

experienced mechanics to any

job site, 24 hours a day, year-round.

CONFIDENCE YOU CAN COUNT ON

1.403.387.6300

[email protected]

www.gasdriveglobal.com

Gas Drive supports our customers in the day-to-day business to help them succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. When you work with Gas Drive, you draw on our 40-year legacy of capability, experience and customer relationships to help you succeed on your next project. We have a lineup of superb gas engine compressors and electric generators, compressor retrofit capabilities, field and shop services, turnkey construction and electric power packaging for the energy-producing sector. No matter the turnaround schedule, Gas Drive maximizes the uptime of your equipment.

We go the extra mile to deliver the highest in quality, power and efficiency. Approach your next project with confidence – the kind you feel when you work with Gas Drive.

SERVICE

INVENTORYRENTALS

OPTIMIZATIONOPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

RETROFITTURNKEY CONSTRUCTION

ELECTRIC POWER

MAN ENGINES

WAUKESHA

JENBACHER

ALTRONIC


Diversified transportation

Ltd., a subsidiary of Pacific

Western transportation, is

proud to be one of Canada’s largest

privately owned, people transporta-

tion companies. our founder R.b.

Colborne often commented that “our

people are our greatest asset – it is be-

cause of them that we are the leaders

in the industry.” We recruit, train, and

retain only the best. In our quest for

success, we have the commitment to

provide exceptional service and ensure

the safety of our passengers, co-work-

ers, and the public.

Diversified transportation is driven

by safety in all of our operations. We

have a critical responsibility to care

for our passengers, employees, and

the public in all of the communities

that we serve. We strive for continu-

ous improvement in our health and

safety program, and are proud to have

achieved our CoR (Certificate of Rec-

ognition) for our company.

Diversified transportation endeav-

ours to remain a leader of, and inno-

vator within, the industrial employee

transportation sector. No job is too big

or small. We can offer smaller group

shuttles with smaller vehicles, but also

specialize in large group movement

for corporations, teams, tours, conven-

tions, and special events.

our mission statement is to exceed

customer expectations by employ-

ing talented people who share in the

dedication of a company committed to

safety and service.

Diversified transportation has pro-

vided, and will continue to provide,

transportation services for such compa-

nies as Shell, Encana, WorleyParsons,

thompson Creek Endaco Mines, CN

Rail, Ledcor, Walter Energy, Peace River

Coal, huckleberry Mines, Spectra, KbR &

CIMS, just to name a few.

Diversified transportation has a fleet

of various-sized units, which include Sub-

urbans, 14-passenger Mercedes Sprinters,

28 passenger units, 40 passenger units

and 55 passenger coach units. With the

size and variety of our fleet, as well as

the ability to draw more units from our

parent and sister companies, Diversified

transportation will be equipped to han-

dle your company’s transportation needs.

All of our units are equipped with

mobile two-way radios to meet the com-

munication requirements of the service.

Mobile radios provide instant access to

drivers, dispatch and security, and are

instrumental in dealing with any poten-

tial situations. We also have units that are

equipped with lavatories and air condi-

tioning. We always operate with a spare

unit factor relevant to the operation to

ensure minimum interruption to the ser-

vices.

We here at Diversified transportation

are excited about the many opportunities

that are knocking on b.C.’s doorsteps and

look forward to an exciting future for the

province. We look forward to maintain-

ing our positive relations with our cur-

rent customers and will strive to forge

new relationships with future partners. S

safely hoMediversified transportation ltd.


Workforce transportation has become an increasing-

ly important component of resource development

projects, which require a large number of workers

with a broad range of skills, both to develop the infrastructure

and to operate it on completion. North Sands Air Workforce

Logistics was formed in 2013 by the owners of Flair Airlines

Ltd. to provide comprehensive workforce transportation

solutions to a range of companies operating in the natural

resource development and heavy construction industries in

Western Canada.

“the ability to efficiently and cost-effectively manage the

transportation and delivery of skilled workforces is a key

component in the successful operation of many remotely lo-

cated major projects,” says Chris Lapointe, president of North

Sands. the company is exclusively focused on the needs of

clients in this sector. North Sands employs a team of experi-

enced professionals who understand the projects they service

and workforce transportation dynamics, and who are able to

provide start-to-finish trip planning, management and track-

ing services. backed by Flair Airlines Ltd., and with an estab-

lished network within the air carrier community in Western

Canada, North Sands can manage the movement of both

large and small workforce complements to project sites ser-

viced by international, regional or local airports.

Core capabilities

• Centralized program management: Single source for com-

prehensive workforce logistics project planning and opera-

tions.

• Aircraftprocurement&vendormanagement:Abilitytodraw

on a wide variety of aircrafts from multiple vendors.

• Aircraft scheduling & gauging: Transportation schedules

that are tailor-made to fit your projects’ unique personnel

requirements.

• Datatracking&reporting:Carefulreviewofon-timeperfor-

mance, passenger loads, yield management, etc. to identify

areas for potential increased efficiency and cost savings, and

to provide tracking for project KPI’s.

• Safety&qualityassurance:Safetyassuranceandoversightof

all transportation vendors with safety management system

integration.

• Reservations & inventory management: North Sand’s res-

ervation system has been specifically designed to meet the

unique needs of workforce-related transportation.

Fleet options

With North Sands, you will have the ability to flex gauge

across a variety of aircraft types and vendors, allowing you to

mix and match resources together to fulfill demand and in-

a CoMPrehensive solution for workforCe logistiCs ManageMent


COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE LOGISTICS

WWW.NORTHSANDS.CA 1 587-885-1041

• Centralized Program Management• Aircraft Scheduling & Procurement• Reservations & Inventory Management• Safety & Quality Assurance

crease reliability. For example, in the event an aircraft is unable

to make a trip, an alternative will be readily available to step in.

North Sands offers a diverse range of aircrafts from seven to 158

seats. All aircrafts sourced by North Sands operates under trans-

port Canada regulations and have been successfully audited by

multiple aviation quality-assurance organizations to ensure the

utmost level of transportation safety and operational quality.

Customized solutions

A key benefit of North Sands is the ability to customize

your workforce transportation schedule to meet specific op-

erational needs. this includes your choice of departure and

arrival airports, with access to private boarding areas at most

locations that are away from congested main terminals. Ad-

ditionally, North Sands offers custom scheduling for effective

crew rotations.

the advancement of newer technologies can also increase

safety. Some airlines have invested in flight data monitoring

(FDM or FoQA-Flight operations Quality Assurance) to en-

hance the oversight on both mechanical systems and person-

nel. though significantly expensive and not required by regu-

lation, this technology has a proven track record of improving

performance by providing more detailed feedback of flights to

those companies using it.

Safety, flexibility, and customization can truly be the differen-

tiators between service providers, along with their responsive-

ness. ultimately with any contract, you are buying the people,

not the plane. North Sands is a group that is responsive to your

needs and is able to customize your schedule at a moment’s

notice without sacrificing safety and efficiencies.

For more information about north sands,

visit http://www.northsands.ca or call (587) 885-1043. S


the oil and gas service sector

has seen numerous technology

changes and innovations over

the years, and the environmental sec-

tor is no different. Summit believes that

innovation is paramount to the contin-

ued, long-term success of our industry.

one on-going problem our industry

faces is with respect to stabilizing soils

for road and lease construction and for

dust suppression. Weather, erosion,

frost heaving, washout, traffic, and

more create challenges operationally

and economically.

there are many solutions for soil

stabilization and dust suppression, in-

cluding soil cement, polymer products,

recycled asphalt, and cement to name a

few. Summit has tested and compared a

variety of products and has selected en-

vironmentally friendly, biodegradable

liquid copolymers used to stabilize,

solidify, and suppress a variety of soil

types.

Depending on the application and

soil type, this product is applied to the

soils and as the water dehydrates, the

copolymer molecules coalesce and

form bonds between the soil or aggre-

gate particles creating a durable, flex-

ible, and water-resistant matrix. under

a microscope it would look like a net-

work of tiny fibers connecting and link-

ing particles together. the key advantage

of this solution originates with its long,

nanoparticle molecular structure that

link and cross-link together. once cured,

the product becomes completely trans-

parent, leaving the natural landscape to

appear untouched. Comparatively, exist-

ing stabilization solutions, such as soil

cement, are a higher cost solution with

potential reclamation challenges down

the road. For dust suppression, CaCl and

CaMg are not environmentally friendly

and though a cheap solution, not a re-

sponsible choice.

Applications for our suite of products

include, but are not limited to, lease

roads, leases, well pads, laydown yards,

heli pads, parking areas, pathways, con-

struction sites, forestry and agriculture

roads, municipal roads, plus many oth-

ers. Additional benefits include the re-

duction or elimination of compaction

and admixing. Application rates are

prescribed based on the soil type, avail-

able aggregate and operational require-

ments. For dust suppression, in most

cases, the application can be made on

an annual basis without having to pro-

vide maintenance or re-application.

this provides us the ability to provide

a cost-effective solution while provid-

ing a stellar product that is extremely

durable, environmentally responsible,

and cost effective.

through our R&D, we feel there is

a significant opportunity to reclaim

this product in-situ. Summit has put

our products through rigorous testing

to determine if in-situ reclamation is

achievable and to ensure these products

do not have any adverse effects on our

environment. Within this testing, there

are concurrent tests being done to de-

termine the impacts of hydrocarbons,

acid, and condensates on the finished

product. All of these results combined

can provide a “win-win-win” situation

for producers, service companies, and

municipalities.

the biggest foreseeable challenge

hinges on Mother Nature and the ab-

breviated window for the stabilization

of soils. For dust suppression, it is not

an issue, but to achieve optimal stabili-

zation there are installation conditions

which need to be met. the product has

to be applied properly, in favourable

conditions (above five degrees Celsius)

and has to dehydrate completely for the

bonds to properly form and result in

an effective solution. In Western Can-

ada this leaves a window of about five

months (June-october).

Summit continues to push the

boundaries to meet these challenges

head on. Working in partnership with

our suppliers and customers, we are

carrying out continuous R&D and tri-

als to bring leading-edge and environ-

mentally responsible solutions to these

problems. S

soil staBilization – an eMerging teChnology

Please recycle

Weather, erosion, frost heaving, washout, traffic, and more create challenges

operationally and economically.


Lui Advanced Engineering (LAE)

has extensive experience with pipe-

lines, from onshore to offshore,

and from shallow water to deep water.

here are some facts about LAE:

• In2009,LAEquantitativelylinkedthe

crude-oil pipe damage in Mississippi

river delta to mudslides and to hurri-

cane George.

• In 2010, LAE’s voluntary solution

helped seal bP’s well in the Gulf of

Mexico. A cap with open valve was es-

sential for avoiding gas hydrate and for

setting onto the crippled blow-out pre-

venter (2010).

• In 2012, LAE co-authored a mono-

graph entitled “Seismic Design of bur-

ied and offshore Pipelines”.

• In2014,LAE’sproprietaryrelaxingLiq-

uefied Natural Gas (LNG) transfer sys-

tem was the most cost-effective solu-

tion that resists natural disasters, such

as earthquakes and tsunamis.

LAE has foreseen the vulnerability of

existing LNG transfer systems. As a matter

of fact, a 10-metre-high tsunami triggered

by a strong earthquake in Japan in March

2011 devastated the Sendai LNG termi-

nal. the tsunami destroyed everything on

the ground except for the underground

storage tank.

LAE has developed and certified a re-

laxing LNG transfer system (patented and

patent pending). the system has the fol-

lowing components (as shown in Images

1 and 2): an underground tunnel and a

loading shaft; a high end near the storage

tanks, and a low end at the loading shaft;

a transfer line supported on stationary

rollers inside the tunnel, preferably with

the offshore end free; flexible hoses for

connection with ship manifolds; a trans-

fer line having a pipe-in-pipe configura-

tion with superior insulation in the an-

nulus.

this system is isolated from storm

surges, tsunamis, ice gouging and heat

waves. Resisting the natural disaster is

only one merit of the system. there are

five more distinctive merits.

1) Automatic vapour removal: typical-

ly storage tanks are located perhaps

10-metres above the sea level, while a

LNG tanker needs 15 metres of water.

A pipeline can be installed following

this natural contour. With a slope and

an open high end, a circulation loop

forms within the pipe in which liq-

uid flows down by gravity, and vapour

flows out automatically along the top

of the pipeline and through an open-

ing at the high end, as shown in Im-

age 3. the system is kept at cryogenic

temperature during idle periods with

minimum control.

2) Low stress: the pipe stress is reduced

by 50 per cent through a free end.

there is no concern for fatigue and the

system can be shut down frequently.

3) Lower boil-off gas (boG): the system

can reduce boG by up to 80 per cent

during idle periods using superior in-

sulation materials and eliminating

pumping heat.

4) Enhanced safety: In a pipe-in-pipe

configuration, the outer pipe serves as

a secondary LNG containment in case

LNG starts leaking through the inner

pipe wall. Regarding water ingression,

there are three barriers. they are: the

tunnel, inert gas inside the tunnel, and

external coating of the outer pipe. In

addition, if water enters the tunnel, it

will flow down to the lower end and

can be drained with a pump.

5) Significant cost reduction: the initial

investment is reduced by at least 25

per cent through eliminating trestle

and eliminating recirculation line and

pump. It also reduces operating cost by

about 20 per cent through minimizing

boil-off gas and maintenance.

the system can be used for loading

a LNG tanker docked along a shoreline

or offshore. the system is applicable for

both receiving terminals and loading ter-

minals.

LAE can be reached by phone at 888-

316-6675, or by other means as listed on

its website: www.laengr.com. LAE wel-

comes any challenging issues/projects in

fluid transfer with pipelines. LAE treats

every project as its own. S

lae Brings roBust solutions for transfer of hazardous fluids through innovationby Jack X. liu, Pe, Ph.d, president of liu advanced engineering, llC (lae)

11211 Katy Freeway, Suite 450, Houston, TX 77079

Tel: (888) 316-6675 | [email protected]


Raven oilfield Rentals has been operating in northeast-

ern british Columbia and northwestern Alberta since

1988. our head office is located in Fort St. John, b.C.,

with branch offices in Fort Nelson, b.C., Grande Prairie, and

Calgary, Alta. Raven oilfield Rentals is one of the largest inde-

pendently owned rental companies in the area. We have an ex-

tensive inventory of exploration, production, construction, and

pipeline equipment available to rent year-round.

Raven is one of the largest suppliers of access mats in north-

ern b.C. and Alberta, with a large inventory of wood mats avail-

able for rent or sale.

the company can take care of all your transportation and mat

installation needs with our fleet of specialized equipment. our

fleet of loaders, skid steers, excavators, six winch tractors with

trailers and five-bed trucks can move or transport any mats or

equipment safely and efficiently. Raven also has three Super b

trailers for the transportation of large quantities of access mats.

All equipment is operated by trained, quality professionals.

Raven is able to utilize its 6,000-square-foot fabrication shop

to build, modify, or customize just about anything for its cus-

tomers’ needs. they have just completed their new 1,600 barrel

(250-cubic-metre) horizontal fluid tanks. these tanks are lined,

insulated, come with a double pass four-inch steam coil, and

large number of four, eight, and 12-inch valves.

Raven oilfield Rentals is CoR certified and is registered with

both the hSE Registry and ISNetworld. Raven strives to be a

leader in the oil and gas sector with outstanding service, excel-

lent safety programs, and quality staff. Working with the b.C.

Safety Council, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers, and

the Workers’ Compensation board of b.C. and Alberta, Raven

oilfield Rentals is committed to providing a safe work environ-

ment whether it be in the field, in the shop, or at the office. S

for all your needsraven oilfield rentals

Toll Free: 1.800.799.7188

www.ravenoilfield.comPO Box 6238Fort St. John, BC V1J 4H7

P: (250) 787.8474 | F: (250) 787.3097

RENTAL EQUIPMENT FOR ALL OILFIELD APPLICATIONS• GARBAGE BINS• 400 BBL TANKS• RIG MATS• GENERATORS• MAN LIFTS• TRAILER MOUNTED FUEL TANKS

(DOT APPROVED)• LIGHT TOWERS• SHALE TANKS• MUD (FLOC TANKS)• 24’ OFFICE TRAILERS• 36’ MEETING TRAILERS• WASHROOM TRAILERS• COMBO TRAILERS (GENERATOR,

FUEL TANK, LIGHTS)

OPERATING IN NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA SINCE 1988

New 250 m3

(1600 bbl) horizontal fluid tanks

Raven Oilfield Rentals is a full service mating company with rentals, sales, transportation, install & removal, and inventory services. With over 20 years of experience in the Oil and Gas Industry, be assured that any job will be done safely and effectively.


When it comes to the size of a

heavy-haul load, the ENtREC

Corporation can handle it all

– big or small!

As a case-in-point, ENtREC was able to

offer a customer significant cost and time

savings by shipping 14 fully completed

Inclined Plate Separator (IPS) units from

their point of manufacture in Lloydmin-

ster, Alta. to an oil sands site north of Fort

McMurray. Fully assembled, the IPS units

are over 43-feet tall, with a diametre of

over 37 feet – well in excess of the Alberta

transport permitted dimensions of 24-

feet wide and 29-feet, six-inches tall.

Given the enormous dimensions, the

project was initiated with multiple indi-

vidual components for each unit shipped

separately and assembled on-site. unfor-

tunately, this led to significant cost infla-

tion, quality issues given the uncontrolled

fabrication environment, and scheduling

difficulties in dealing with a highly con-

gested site, which created multiple delays.

ENtREC knew they could safely and effi-

ciently solve these problems, and worked

closely with both its customer and prime

regulatory authority (the Alberta trans-

portation Department) to plan the route

and obtain all pre-approvals to ship the

14 remaining IPS units to site fully as-

sembled. And, at 41-feet, six-inches tall

and 37-feet, six-inches wide, ENtREC was

trusted to move multiple loads that were

by-far the highest and widest to be moved

over the highway in Alberta history. EN-

tREC subsequently invested approximate-

ly 2,500 hours over a 12-week period to

plan the move in every detail – including

public notification, traffic management,

utility line lifts, railway crossings, and 22

bridge traverses (which each required en-

gineering study and in-transit monitor-

ing). other notable elements included the

election of night-only travel to minimize

disruption and maximize safety consid-

erations, and the decision to ultimately

train two IPS units per movement. Each

units were driven by a prime mover pull-

ing a modified 12-axle hydraulic trailer

and pushed by two additional tractors; a

pilot vehicle led and followed the convoy,

and at least two RCMP escorts at all points

– dedicated back-up also accompanied,

including a mobile repair truck and an ad-

ditional prime mover. Currently, eight of

the 14 IPS units have been delivered safely

and successfully to site, with the remain-

ing convoy scheduled for early August.

ENtREC is a leading provider of heavy

lift and heavy haul services with offerings

encompassing crane services, heavy haul

transportation, engineering, logistics, and

support. ENtREC provides these services

to the oil and natural gas, construction,

petrochemical, mining and power genera-

tion industries.

go to www.entrec.com for more details. S

size doesn’t Matter to entreC

ACTION HEALTH & SAFETY SERVICES

MEDIC / PARAMEDIC

SAFETY SERVICES

SECURITY PROFESSIONALS

Toll Free: 1-888-782-8204 Phone: 250-782-8202

actionservices.ca

ENTREC is the leading provider of heavy lift and heavy haul services to industry in western Canada

• crane and rigging • heavy haul transportation• engineering • logistics and support

As an employee-owned company, the ENTREC team is committed to providing exceptional service with a focus on operational excellence – we deliver the safest and most cost-effective crane and transportation solutions for every customer.

ENTREC is best-positioned to meet the most challenging heavy lift and heavy haul needs!

ACHESON 780.962.1600 BONNYVILLE 780.826.4565 CALGARY 403.777.1644CALGARY-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 587.955.9183 DAWSON CREEK 250.782.2728 DICKINSON, ND 701.364.3688

FORT MCMURRAY 780.790.0279 FORT NELSON 250.774.7638 FORT ST. JOHN 250.785.5750GRANDE PRAIRIE 780.814.2189 LEDUC 780.980.0906 PRINCE RUPERT 250.624.6802

TERRACE/KITIMAT 250.635.6802 WATFORD, ND 701.483.8363 WHITECOURT 780.706.7111 TSX:ENT

HEAVY LIFTDRIVEN BY PEOPLE

HEAVY HAUL

www.entrec.com

E2-38_ENTREC_Ad_Option 5_v3_PT.indd 1 14-08-01 10:30 AM


All-West Crane & Rigging Ltd., a

family-run business out of the

centrally located city of Ques-

nel, british Columbia, has been busy ex-

panding their fleet and scope of services

ahead of development in the b.C. oil

and gas industry. owners barb and Jerry

van halderen have grown their business

from a local forest industry service pro-

vider into a company that can handle

major projects across multiple indus-

tries. Most recently, All-West Crane has

supplied up to 12 cranes to assist in the

construction of the Northwest transmis-

sion Line, a 344-kilometre, 287-kilowatt

transmission line north of terrace. other

major projects include providing cranes

for all-steel erection work at taseko’s

British ColuMBia lift sPeCialistsFull-service lifting solutions


www.allwestcrane.com

Phone: 250-992-5592 Cell: 250-983-9293

CRANE & HAULING SERVICES

SPECIALIZING IN ROUGH TERRAIN CRANES FOR THE MINING, CONSTRUCTION, and OIL & GAS INDUSTRIES

LET OUR TEAM RAISE YOUR NEXT PROJECT TO NEW HEIGHTS

Featuring the 130 Ton Rough

Terrain Crane – the largest RT in BC

Gibraltor Mine for their major mine ex-

pansion.

Customer service and safety are the

primary goals of the company, so when

the transmission line customer contin-

ued to require more and more lifting

equipment, All-West Crane responded

by obtaining four new Link-belt Rough

terrain cranes in rapid succession and

rented two additional cranes to facilitate

an efficient jobsite. they went so far as

to hire an additional eight operators. All

of this took place within a four-week pe-

riod, showing their ability to be flexible

in responding to customer needs. With

safety and efficiency in mind, they chose

to purchase and rent Link-belt cranes be-

cause of their ease of mobilization and

state-of-the-art safety features.

In addition to new cranes, All-West

Crane has recently acquired two tractor

units, and four trailer units, which af-

fords them quick and efficient mobiliza-

tion of their cranes.

Complementing their crane services,

All-West Crane offers 3-D lift planning;

a lift planning software that allows them

to easily evaluate all lift parameters and

can even create 3-D renderings and ani-

mated lift simulations. by creating 3-D

drawings and simulations, operations

personnel can get a visual of the lift that

is to be done, which ultimately increases

efficiency and safety on site. their soft-

ware even evaluates the most efficient

and cost-effective crane for the job.

Rounding out their scope of services,

All-West Crane has become a distributor

for DICA outrigger Pads, Caldwell Lift-

ing Solutions, and Diversified Lift Wise

Products.

With their current fleet and scope of

services, All-West Crane has the ability

to see projects through from start of con-

struction, to completion, and then on to

maintenance and shutdown work. they

are a full-service lift provider. S


Industrial Scaffold Services LP is a full-service scaffold and

environmental containment provider servicing the oil &

gas, pulp & paper, energy & utilities, mining and marine

sectors for over 25 years.

We have built a strong and dedicated team that manages a

diverse and recurring base of large and reputable industrial cus-

tomers all over Western Canada. our head office is in the town

of Crofton, b.C. on Vancouver Island, where it was founded al-

most three decades ago. Al brown, president and founder, is still

very active in the business and everyday aspects of the company.

our management and scaffolders ensure the highest safety

standards in the industry. this sets us apart, as we meet all your

expectations in your most demanding production and delivery

needs. Project consultation, ongoing communication, mock

modeling, and specification review ensures our safety and

yours, and in turn, keeps the project on target and on budget.

Industrial Scaffold Services LP is a 24-hour full-service scaf-

folding company that maintains a substantial inventory for ma-

terial rentals. our material is delivered, erected and dismantled

by specialists and highly qualified field supervisor personnel

that maintain a safe and efficient work environment for our

employees, your employees, and the successful completion of

any project.

our teams can design the scaffolding from the ground up,

around, over, hanging or down to suit each project’s needs.

Whatever the job, the challenge, or the complex specifications,

our men and women, from apprentices to journeyman to man-

agement, successfully complete shut down’s, maintenance, and

new projects.

Safety and the environment is a core business value at In-

dustrial Scaffold Services LP. our shrink-wrap specialists are

the best in the business and meet all hSE requirements. this

is the best way to contain potential hazards from entering the

environment. It can also protect workers from the environment

itself, such as strong winds, cold, and other extreme weather

conditions.

Some of our recent projects in the oil and gas industry in-

clude:

• SpectraEnergy–Highwayflowsplitterandkobescompressor

upgrade

• ProgressEnergy–LilyLakerefrigerationplant

• CNRL–Weststoddart

• Keyera–Caribooplantupgrade

these are a just a few of our projects. Please visit our website

for more great pictures and information about Industrial Scaf-

fold Services L.P. at www.industrialscaffoldservices.com. S

first in safety and serviCeindustrial scaffold services lP


Van houtte Coffee Services is known for its rich Cana-

dian history for delivering high-quality coffees and cof-

fee equipment service to a variety of workplaces in a

variety of industries. Drawing upon nearly a century of master

roasting and 30 years of café-bistro experience, we have grown

to become the largest coffee services network in all of Canada,

serving up over one-million cups of coffee per day.

unlike our competitors, Van houtte Coffee Services is a

fully integrated coffee service provider. From sourcing beans,

to roasting, to manufacturing brewing systems, to distribution

and service, Van houtte Coffee Services is part of the most inte-

grated coffee service company in Canada.

With our unique total coffee solution, we provide an excit-

ing selection of gourmet coffees and other beverages, as well

as the most complete line-up of renowned Van houtte coffees

in Canada. our palate-pleasing portfolio also includes some

of the most popular brands available on the market. these in-

clude timothy’s, Green Mountain, barista Prima, tully’s, and

Starbucks. We also offer an impressive variety of teas, hot choc-

olate, specialty beverages, iced products, and allied products.

Van houtte Coffee Services offers cutting-edge brewing

equipment that responds to every specific business brewing

need. our line-up of brewing equipment ranges from tradition-

al brewing systems and high-capacity brewers, to single-cup

brewers and specialty-coffee brewing systems. We pride our-

selves on offering our customers only the best in brand-name

coffee brewing equipment, such as WMF, LavAzza, Keurig®,

bunn, and Newco.

As a firm supporter of sustainability, Van houtte Coffee Ser-

vices integrates Fair trade and eco-friendly initiatives into all of

our business practices. We do this by offering a wide range of

Fair trade, and organic coffees and teas, and single-cup brew-

ers that reduce overall waste. We offer a wide range of coffees

and products that are regulated under Fair trade, Rainforest

Alliance, and organic certifications. We also offer eco-friendly

auxiliary products, and water-filtration systems that help mini-

mize employee dependency on office bottled water.

And, when it comes to service, our quality of service is un-

matched in the industry. At Van houtte Coffee Services, we as-

sign an in-house trained dedicated service team to each and every

client to ensure that our customers’ needs are looked after in a

timely and professional manner. We recognize that different orga-

nizations have different requirements and it’s rarely the case that

“one size fits all”. that is why we introduced our total coffee solu-

tion, which offers customers a wide range of service options from

simple call-in order placements to convenient online ordering.

Van houtte Coffee Services has branches in Victoria, Co-

quitlam, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George, and

terrace/Kitimat, as well as across the country. Whether your

branches are large or small, national or local, or a different

kind of enterprise like an office or a cafeteria, Van houtte Cof-

fee Services has precisely the right equipment, marketing sup-

port, and service you’re looking for. S

van houtte Coffee serviCes – a unique solution to all your Beverage needs

van Houtte Coffee services is a fully integrated coffee service provider. From

sourcing beans, to roasting, to manufacturing

brewing systems, to distribution

and service, van Houtte Coffee services is part

of the most integrated coffee service company

in Canada.


Peregrine Pressure testing Ltd. has

been operating in Northeast b.C.

and Northwestern Alberta since

2006. the company currently operates

a fleet of 14 pressure-testing units with

all their units equipped with computer-

ized digital charting and a recording sys-

tem and a back-up system with manual

gauges and barton chart recorder. All of

their units are equipped with a heated

and well-lighted operators cab with lots

of room for the operator and a couple

of customer reps to oversee any testing if

they choose.

Peregrine specializes in all types of

hydrotesting, boP tests, formation

leak-off tests, formation integrity tests,

micro fracs, DFIt tests, pipeline and fa-

cility testing. All boP test units come

equipped with a full line of test subs,

cup testers and cross-over subs, and can

haul up to 2,000 litres in three separate

compartment tanks.

they also operate units for comple-

tions and pumping jobs that require

higher pumping rates and volumes of

fluid. one unit is capable of 90 litres

per minute at pressures of up to 105,000

Kpa, and has a tank capacity of 6,000

litres in two compartments: 2,000 li-

tres and 4,000 litres. their larger unit is

capable of pump rates of 275 litres per

minute at 69,000 Kpa, or can be set up

for 375 litres per minute at 42,000 Kpa.

both of these units are also equipped

with a centrifugal pump for line filling

or fluid transfer at rates of up to 1,500

litres per minute. this unit also has a

three-compartment tank capable of

holding 12,000 litres of fluid. they also

have one unit with a three-compartment

8,000-litre tank for facility work and

small pipeline jobs. It is equipped with

a 35,000 Kpa pump capable of 35 litres

per minute.

With their computerized digital chart-

ing and recording system, they are able

to chart and record pressure at the test

unit, remote pressure, volume pumped,

pumping rate and temperature. their

system is also able to poll data at four-

times per second if required.

For all your hydro testing needs, feel free to

give Peregrine a call at (250) 787-8662. S

for all your testing needs, Peregrine Pressure testing ltd. has you Covered

In the northwest, communication

isn’t as easy as having a cellphone.

With the mountainous terrain,

snowstorms, and dense forests, it can

be difficult to send out a simple mes-

sage. As infrastructure in the northwest

expands, so does the need for commu-

nication. At Coast Mountain Wireless,

we take this into account, and work to

deliver the innovative technology you

need for all conditions. our goal is to

help bring safety and security to all of

the various types of clients and projects.

our technology is meant to work

where other methods of communica-

tion can fail. We know that we live in

an area where conditions can go from

great to treacherous in a matter of min-

utes. We work to make sure that even in

the worst of conditions, you have secu-

rity.

At Coast Mountain Wireless, we offer

a variety of products, such as:

• Two-wayradios

• Portableandfixedrepeaters

• Satellitephonesandmessengers

• Microwaveradio

• Digitaltrunkingsystems

• SatelliteInternet

• Wirelessbroadband

Whether it is to keep contact between

a crew, or for safety purposes while

driving, two-way radios are the way to

go. there are options for handhelds,

CoMMuniCations solutions for the north CoastCoast Mountain Wireless


YOU WORK IN ALL KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS. WE’RE WITH YOU.

Toll-free 1.855.638.05773650 River Drive, Terrace, BCwww.coastmountainwireless.ca

Motorola and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Offi ce. © Motorola, Inc. 2005.

Coast Mountain Wireless Ltd. is the only authorized Motorola™ two-way radio dealer west of Prince George.

CMW 2295d (Oil & Gas Report half page).indd 1 19-08-14 8:13 AM

as well as truck radios in both analog

and digital format. there is a variety of

brands, channel capacities, and designs

to suit any needs.

our portable and fixed repeaters are

designed to handle all of the weather

that our region can encounter. When

it comes to safety, you don’t want dis-

tance to be an issue. our repeaters are

designed to extend radio coverage.

You can’t always predict what can

happen when you’re out of cell recep-

tion. our satellite phones and satellite

messengers make it so you’re never out

of reach, no matter what the situation.

they give the option to check in, as well

as get help in the worst of scenarios.

At Coast Mountain Wireless, we

don’t just sell you equipment, we rent

and maintain it. our goal is that our

customers don’t just leave satisfied, but

stay satisfied. S


index to advertisersAction Health & Safety Services ........................................................106

Actlabs .................................................................................................73

Akita Drilling Ltd. .................................................................................42

All-West Crane & Rigging Ltd. ...........................................................109

Alpha Safety Ltd. .................................................................................86

Aluma Systems ....................................................................................33

Aurora Park Inn & Suites ......................................................................37

BC Safety Authority .............................................................................65

BK Two-Way Radio Ltd. ........................................................................63

Calfrac Well Service Ltd. .......................................................................11

Cambridge House International Inc. ....................................................87

Can-Am Geomatics ..............................................................................38

Canadian Pump & Compressor ............................................................81

CAPPA .................................................................................................26

Chetwynd and Area Economic Development ........................................ 3

Coast Mountain Wireless Communications Ltd. ................................113

Compass Bending Ltd. .........................................................................28

COR Solutions Ltd. ...............................................................................14

D&D Insulators Ltd. ..............................................................................46

D&D Soft Covers Ltd. ............................................................................47

District of Tumbler Ridge ....................................................................... 8

Diversified Transport Ltd. .....................................................................97

Drive Products / Docap ........................................................................10

Enform Canada ....................................................................................53

Entrec Corporation .............................................................................107

Fabcor 2001, Inc..................................................................................... 4

Flair Airlines Ltd. ..................................................................................99

Flexpipe Systems .................................................................................89

Focus Surveys ......................................................................................30

Gas Drive ..............................................................................................95

Green Patch Environmental Consulting Ltd. ........................................59

Harris Rebar .........................................................................................61

Hazloc Heaters .....................................................................................13

Industrial Scaffold Services..................................................................19

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115....................... IFC

Kitimat .................................................................................................31

Land Sea Camp Services ......................................................................85

Lifesupport Emergency Medical Services .............................................. 7

Liu Advanced Engineering, LLC ..........................................................103

Marmit Plastics Inc. .............................................................................43

Micro Watt Control Devices Ltd. ...........................................................90

Muskwa Valley Ventures Ltd. ...............................................................23

Nira Resources .....................................................................................26

Northern Rockies Regional ..................................................................67

Northlands Water & Sewer Supplies Ltd. .............................................63

Northwest Tank Lines Inc. ....................................................................35

Pacific Coastal Airlines .........................................................................66

Peregrine Pressure Testing Ltd. ............................................................17

Praxair .................................................................................................64

Progress Energy Canada Ltd. ...............................................................39

Quality Mat Co. ....................................................................................27

Raven Oilfield Rentals........................................................................105

Rosenau Transport Ltd. ........................................................................13

Society of Petroleum Engineers ...........................................................69

Specialized Desanders Inc ...................................................................93

Summit Liability Solutions ................................................................101

Synergy Land Services Ltd. ..................................................................29

TA Structures .......................................................................................91

TDB Consultants Inc. ............................................................................72

Terrapro Group of Companies ..............................................................83

TOG Systems .......................................................................................IBC

Trans Peace Construction (1987) Ltd. .................................................... 5

V.E. Brandl Ltd......................................................................................21

Van Houtte Coffee Services ................................................................OBC

Volant ..................................................................................................54

Williams Scotsman of Canada ............................................................... 9

YAWN.FIELD TECHNICIAN AND OFFICIAL SUPPLIER OF “WHATEVER-IT-TAKES”

Just another day keeping the oil and gas industry in Western Canada seamlessly connected with a

complete line of dependable, voice and data communications products and solutions – all backed

by an equally dull, 100% service and equipment guarantee.

Get Western Canada’s most trusted provider of oil and gas communications working for you.

For more information, visit our website: togsystems.ca

SERVICING ALBERTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA & SASKATCHEWAN

PHONE 780 356 3965 TOLL FREE 1 844 356 3965 EMAIL [email protected]

DATE

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From remote field sites to large corporate offices, we have the perfect beverages, precise state-of-the-art equipment, and best-in-business service that’s right for the fast moving oil and gas industry.

With our line-up of coffee brewers, hot beverage equipment, and water cooler filtration systems, we offer “total office beverage solutions” that are best suited for your lunch room needs.

As well, we specialize in providing remote coffee services for the industrial sector, including:

• Brewing equipment servicing & maintenance• Portable brewing equipment and water filtration systems for mobile offices• Direct shipping of product & supplies for remote industrial locations

VAN HOUTTE COFFEE SERVICES,

YOUR PERFECT LUNCH ROOM BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

CONTACT US TODAY FOR YOUR FREE TRIAL

VanHoutteCoffeeServices.com

Vancouver: (604) 552-5452Prince George: (250) 564-8015Terrace: (250) 635-3506Kelowna: (250) 765-5956

Kamloops: (250) 554-9665Nanaimo: (250) 753-4107Victoria: (250) 475-2222

B.C. Oil & Gas Report 2014

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Transcript of B.C. Oil & Gas Report 2014