Saskatchewan tribal councils visit Fort McMurray
CAODC safety initiatives will see rig positions as apprenticeable trades
Northeast BC Coal Forum to be held in Chetwynd
Akuna Drilling committed to First Nations & Métis Nations
Saskatchewan tribal councils visit Fort McMurray
It was a busy week for some members of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council who were in Fort McMurray learning about oil sands developments. “It was like Oil Sands 101 for many of us” noted Chief Robert Sylvestre, one of the leaders who participated in the fact-finding event. Sylvestre has been to Fort McMurray before was amazed at the changes that have taken place over the past few years. According to Chief Sylvestre, “You’ve really got to see it to understand just how large and long-term these projects are.”
Members of the Athabasca Tribal Council and Meadow Lake Tribal Council visited Fort McMurray recently and attended the Leading Change Conference. Their visit confirmed that there are many excellent opportunities for First Nations in Alberta and Saskatchewan to become involved in these economic activities.
The oil sands and their business and employment opportunities were the basis for the MLTC visit. It began with meeting the Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC), the Alberta council that represents the five First Nations in the vicinity of the projects. The meeting was to introduce MLTC to their Alberta neighbors and to get advice from a local First Nations perspective. The five First Nations that make up the ATC are involved with about $250 million dollars worth of oil sands business and are finding it difficult to keep up to demands for goods and services. In addition to meeting the Athabasca Tribal Council, Chief Jim Boucher of the Fort McKay First Nation also hosted a tour of his reserve and a luncheon for the Saskatchewan group.
Other activities were meetings with Syncrude and a briefing by Opti-Nexen on the Long Lake project. Chief Helen Ben of MLTC took time to make a submission to an Alberta Government Commission reviewing oil sands development. Chief Ben’s message was supportive of the oil sands developments but she reminded the Commission that Saskatchewan First Nations are also close to the projects, have an interest in their development, and can be affected by their impacts.
MLTC was welcomed to the Aboriginal business community at a reception hosted for oil industry personnel, contractors, First Nations and government guests. Other events MLTC attended while in Fort McMurray was an Alberta-Saskatchewan Workforce Planning Workshop and a two-day Leading Change conference where Chief Ben was an invited guest speaker. The conference was sponsored by oil sands companies in the area.
According to Chief Helen Ben, “the week was well worth the time and expense for MLTC. We saw first hand what we have been told before, there are many good opportunities for our tribal council and individual First Nations to become more involved in these economic activities. Although we were made welcome, we were also advised to come back with specific plans, not dreams, and so we intend to do our homework before our next visit to the area!”
CAODC safety initiatives will see rig positions as apprenticeable trades
Anyone associated with the oil industry is working at a frantic pace these days. The investment, workload and activity levels have been soaring for some time now. And yet, despite the increased productivity, the industry is not seeing a correlative increase in workplace incidents. In fact, the upstream petroleum industry as a whole has made great strides in recent years in workplace safety, having improved its safety performance by almost 75 per cent over the last decade.
The rig site – the hallmark image of the oil industry - is a mix of heavy equipment and fast-paced activity. And with this combination of factors, safe work practices are a first priority for all levels of a rig crew.
Canadian drilling and service rig contractors long have demonstrated a strong commitment to always improving its record in the area of workplace safety. And these companies have the tools in place to make sweeping proactive change across the industry to attain this goal. Nearly all drilling and service rig contractors working in Canada belong to an association known as the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors. Through this association, companies can meet and work cooperatively on important industry issues and concerns. These initiatives have addressed everything from equipment specifications to recommended work practices to safety awards programs.
Recently, at the request of its Board of Directors, the CAODC spearheaded an application to the Alberta government to designate the three senior crew positions on a drilling rig – Motorhand, Derrickhand and Driller – as apprenticeable trades. The Board believed that, by adopting a trades training model, the drilling industry would see a number of benefits, the most important of these being the benefit of improved safety.
When an entire occupational group has mandatory training, employers have explicit knowledge of each employee’s background. Course outlines detail the training at each level, and standardized exams ensure that a student has a comprehensive understanding of different technical areas. The employer has a complete detailed account of an employee’s experience, even if the employee previously worked for a different company. With these tools, the employer will be better able to determine the training needs of an individual employee.
Trades’ training teaches crew members to communicate more effectively. After completion of the apprenticeship training, an apprentice motorhand is better able to give instructions and feedback to the entry-level floorhand position, enabling them to learn correct procedures and safe practices that will follow them throughout their drilling career.
In terms of future improvements, trades training will give the industry the improved ability to implement new safety practices and standards. After the Rig Technician trade is established, the CAODC Apprenticeship Committee will work closely with Alberta Learning to monitor the effectiveness of the trade’s training components. The trades training program will be a flexible system. It will be adjusted as a rig crew’s needs for skills and knowledge change with the introduction of new equipment and work practices.
The new trade, called Rig Technician, is now available through provincial apprenticeship divisions throughout western Canada.
The service rig sector will be exploring the possibility of adapting the trade for a service rig environment, or even developing its own trades training program.
Due to the equipment used by rig crews, the assurance of workplace safety will always be of paramount concern for contractors and for the CAODC. Nevertheless, member companies agree that this challenge must be taken on proactively. With this cooperative approach among industry members, the CAODC and industry will continue to ensure that this workforce is given the necessary resources to manage the potential hazards they deal with each day.
Northeast BC Coal Forum to be held in Chetwynd
By Malcolm McColl
Ellen Calliou of the District of Chetwynd and Ray Proulx of the District of Tumbler Ridge are busy organizing the 2006 Coal Forum and Job Fair on behalf of the respective districts in partnership with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. The site of the event is the Chetwynd & District Recreation Complex, October 19 & 20, 2006.
Calliou said, "We alternate the host site between our two communities, and Chetwynd is home this year of the ‘Sustainable Communities’ Coal Forum, including an important job fair running concurrently, October 19 & 20th." Calliou works for the Chetwynd & Area Economic Development Commission. "It is the second annual community coal forum about a vibrant coal industry in Northeast B.C.."
Last year the coal forum was held in Tumbler Ridge. This year's event in Chetwynd includes increased emphasis on employment opportunities. She said the Job Fair has turned into a large adjoining event that will showcase businesses within the northeast area of the province. Plans for development in the region continue to be announced.
Calliou said, "This event in Chetwynd is designed to show people how to benefit from increased coal mining activities in the region." The forum provides opportunity for industry and government personnel to share their knowledge and information about the coal mining industry. She said the Chetwynd event is receiving a lot of interest.
Registration contact: Ellen Calliou, Chetwynd, Ph: 250-401-4113 or email: calliou@pris.bc.ca OR Ray Proulx, Tumbler Ridge, Phone: 250-242-4242 ext. 225 or email: edo@dtr.ca
Akuna Drilling committed to First Nations & Métis Nations
History of Akuna Drilling
On June 27, 2005 Western Lakota Energy Services Inc. ("WLE") acquired the first four shallow oil & gas/coring/pre-set casing drilling rigs and commenced operating them under the Akuna Drilling name. Since that time Akuna has acquired two more rigs and built three of its own rigs to increase its rig count to nine rigs. Akuna maintains an on going rig construction program. Akuna is well positioned to take advantage of the shallow hole oil sands, pre-set casing, oil & gas and coal bed methane drilling opportunities available in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
Commitment to First Nations and Métis Nations Involvement
Akuna and its parent company Western Lakota are committed to their current and future First Nations and Métis Nation partners. We believe that these business relationships will have capacity building potential and will provide employment and economic benefits to participating communities. These benefits have already been realized by other First Nations and Métis communities through Western Lakota's other partnerships and relationships throughout Western Canada.
Ownership
In December 2005 Akuna's operations were reorganized into the Akuna Drilling Limited Partnership. The Partnership is now owned by the Akuna Drilling Trust, which is 86% owned by WLE and the remainder is owned by many First Nations and Métis Nation communities and businesses that they control.
Safety & Environment
Our employees are our most important assets and their safety and well-being is one of our most important considerations. Safety and Environmental Protection is an integral part of an efficient operation and therefore it demands a commitment of participation by all employees of Lakota Drilling Limited Partnership.
Management expects that all activities that are performed on its behalf be accomplished without accidents, injury, occupation illness, damage to the environment and loss of physical assets.
Management will undertake to provide a safe and healthy work site by demonstrating its commitment through active leadership and support of company, industry and government rules and legislation.
Our goal is to maintain the highest standards possible and as such, all employees are expected to actively and enthusiastically participate in our safety and environment programs. All employees will perform their work in a manner which protects themselves, their fellow workers, the general public, the environment, and the assets of the company.