The UW Petroleum Energy Association (UPEA) held its inaugural public event on Wednesday September 19th with guest speakers R. Howard McIntyre and Dean G. Wilcox P.Eng from Suncor Energy Products Partnership (the product of the 2009 merger between Suncor Energy Inc and Petro Canada). The presentation was an opportunity for students to learn more about the oil and gas industry as it figures into the Canadian economy and the benefits of oil and gas companies as prospective employers. UWPEA is a new student association created to fill the perceived gap between students and the energy related careers available to them. Their goal is ‘to educate and empower students about the energy industry,’ which is exactly what this presentation did.
McIntyre and Wilcox discussed how sustainable development, where emphasis is placed on a healthy environment, strong economy and good social well-being, is an important part of any successful business. In the petroleum industry some of the biggest issues are the land disturbances required as part of the crude extraction process and the amount of energy (BTU’s) that go in to the production of each barrel. Innovation is needed to improve the sustainability of the oil and gas industry which creates a dynamic, engaging workplace environment. Saving energy and space can be important parts of industrial processes. Suncor is a part of the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) aimed at using collaboration among it’s 12 member companies to reduce the oil sands impact on the environment.
Some examples of Suncor’s efforts to increase sustainability include the addition of solar panels at Wilcox’s Mississauga lubricants plant (an effort carried out by co-op students). Suncor has also developed a new method to reclaim tailings ponds which requires only 7 – 10 years for reclamation compared to the traditional 40 years. Tailings ponds are used to settle out fine particles which are separated in the extraction process. These ponds can be similar to quicksand and are a danger to unwitting birds that land on it. For more information on Suncor’s environmental remediation efforts check out the Suncor Website (www.suncor.com) under ‘responsible development’.
The Canadian oil and gas industry is well positioned for expansion, while senior experienced workers will be retiring over the next decade. It is estimated that the industry will be 900,000 workers short in the coming years. According to an independent Calgary think tank, the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI), over the next 25 years Alberta based oil and gas companies are expected to employ 1 million more people and add $3.5 trillion to Canada’s gross domestic product. This will strengthen the Canadian economy as a whole. Constant investments in updated infrastructure will be a big part of this growing industry. The most recent planned investments include two pipelines: the Keystone XL pipeline which will connect the oil sands to Texas, and the Northern Gateway pipeline which will connect Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia opening up Canada to Asian markets. The energy industry is the prime place for young talented professionals who want fast paced, engaging work.
As you can see, the energy sector is a quickly changing industry, with limitless opportunities for interesting work which will make a difference. I am very happy that UWPEA has been created to connect students with representatives from this sector and I look forward to future events. Check out their website, uwpea.com for more information.
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