Business of Energy - December 2022

OF ENERGY

SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING WOMEN IN ENERGY

RAYNA ORYNIAK ON THE PURPOSE OF CALGARY WOMEN IN ENERGY

SOLVING LABOUR SHORTAGES WITH WORKFORCE OPTIMIZATION

Seventeen years in the energy sector gave Garett Schoorlemmer plenty of insight into the staffing issues companies face daily. These issues include skilled labour, scheduling and reliability. After completing his EMBA at Haskayne School of Business through the University of Calgary, where he focused his capstone project on the premise of Sideworx, Schoorlemmer knew the time was now to launch this much-needed service. In the fall of 2021, he launched Sideworx Connect Inc.

Sideworx connects experienced workers in multiple classifications within the oil and gas industry with employers looking to fill part-time and full-time positions, based on credentials uploaded to the employees’ ‘Sideworx employee profile’. The employee informs Sideworx what timeframe they are available when not working in current roles to attain ‘side work’. Full time employment is also attainable with workers who are primarily employed by Sideworx and working for multiple companies.

“Our workers like their schedules being fully optimized and our clients like that they are having reliable, experienced and qualified workers show up on site,” says Schoorlemmer.

Sideworx Connect has a goal to connect employees and employers through a more efficient approach to recruitment. They offer another channel of access to all stakeholders to connect with each other and optimize their schedules and utilization, which in turn creates a stronger Albertan economy.

Sideworx Connect has honed an actionable, scalable staffing solution built from having boots on the ground. Co-owner and COO Ryan Vekved is based out of the Peace Region and brings his experience as a petroleum engineer with 14 years in the industry. With a combined 31 years of experience, key relationships from the owners in the O&G industry has bolstered the sales process of this company to quickly propel it into a common name in the industry in the short span of one year since inception.

Sideworx Connect has developed all processes for use on mobile phones to make the onboarding, ticket management and scheduling more efficient. Workers can log into an app and track their timesheets, see their hours worked, while also managing their schedules for availability. Using software, Sideworx has synchronized the client and worker acknowledgment to confirm days worked for invoicing ease. This software assists in tracking the worker’s GPS location via cell phone, doubling as a safety feature as they have workers spread out across Alberta and B.C.

Detailed internal processes have increased Sideworx’s ability to focus on the recruitment and retention of new workers to find the best fit placement for the individual and the end user client. Clear communication between the clients and the experienced dispatching staff has made Sideworx an easy decision to rely on for their clients. The company is looking to provide the most economical service to its clients and makes its profit based on a volume offering to allow for a lower-cost solution when compared to other temp agencies. Sideworx aims to be paid like an employee on the company’s payroll schedules, reducing stress on the business’s cash flow management during the start-up and initial growth phase. Sideworx has secured a short-term deal with a low interest financing rate for factoring services to allow for uninterrupted growth for the busy season forecasted ahead.

“We have multiple success stories,” says Schoorlemmer. “One that really stands out is with one of our contractors who normally works six to eight months of the year on a drilling rig, running a centrifuge. Gaps in his schedule have been filled by Sideworx to have him come with experience, a truck and tools as well as with a positive attitude to go to work and run water transfer pumps. The worker is happy for the opportunity to find ‘side work’ and the client is thrilled to have an experienced worker to assist in their needs.”

Garett Schoorlemmer and Ryan Vekved at the Grande Priarie Chamber Awards

THE GREAT REVERSAL – A PROMISING NEW FUTURE FOR ALBERTA

by

As 2022 draws to a close, one almost feels guilty for being optimistic.

War in Ukraine. Terrible energy and economic challenges in Europe. The cost of everything from food to fuel to mortgages is going up. The value of many investments and real estate in multiple markets is going down.

But for 2023, and possibly many years thereafter, Alberta is the place to be.

And it’s not just because of higher commodity prices.

Because there has also been a quantum and long overdue change in how people think about the necessities of life, and where they come from. Like oil and gas.

Which will change the fortunes of Albertans for years to come.

While continuing initiatives to diversify Alberta’s economy are great, the primary driver of the wealth creation and employment remains based upon resources.

As the world emerged from the pandemic in early 2021, I wrote on these pages:

“Oil. Natural gas. Agriculture. Minerals. Forestry. The things that built Canada and Alberta. The bread-and-butter industries that urban dwellers and millennials don’t understand; the essentials of life that are taken for granted because there

has never been a shortage… Post-pandemic, Canada will be forced back to the basics.

Blessed with a disproportionate share of what modern civilization cannot live without, Alberta’s economy will rise once again.”

However, things are materially different than just two years ago.

For the past 15 years there has been a determined effort to put us out of business. It was so bizarre I wrote a book about it in 2019 titled: From Miracle to Menace - Alberta, A Carbon Story. The energy that built modern society was declared to be its greatest threat.

But not only are resources prices rising, so is the IQ of the millions of people who have directly and indirectly affected our fate.

Because the world has decided to quit persecuting Alberta oil.

This will be the biggest improvement of all. And why 2023 and beyond will be much better than just higher commodity prices.

For years Alberta ebbed and flowed with resource prices. As oil and gas prices and sales volumes increased, everyone did better. Even those not directly involved in the oilpatch benefited or suffered because of the enormous impact of production royalties on provincial government revenue, spending, debt and taxation levels.

David Yager

A Promising New Future For Alberta

The Great Reversal -

The boom of the 1970s was driven by OPEC and oil prices. The recovery of the 1990s was powered by natural gas.

This century started off strong thanks to massive oil sands investment. All of the above ended in late 2014.

But it wasn’t just lower commodity prices. There was also a full court press by the western world to put Alberta out of business.

The North American shale gas revolution which began in 2005 eventually collapsed Alberta gas prices and reduced production volumes. From 2001 to 2008, Alberta’s benchmark AECO spot price gas routinely approached or exceeded $10 per gigajoule (GJ).

Then prices started falling as parts of the U.S. that used to import gas started producing it. Ten years later, gas averaged only $0.55 in June of 2019, a 95 per cent reduction. Volume also declined as important export markets in Ontario and the US Northeast were lost to massive quantities of U.S. gas much closer to consumers from the Marcellus Shale. Alberta gas output peaked at 13.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2000. By 2013 it was down 30 per cent.

In late 2014 OPEC abandoned supporting oil prices. So began a seven-year slump that only ended this year. Alberta’s benchmark bitumen blend – Western Canada Select – fetched US$85.56 in June of 2014. The first collapse was in November 2018 when it went as low as US$5.97 because production exceeded takeaway capacity. Then in April of 2020 it hit an

David Yager | The Great Reversal – A Promising New Future For Alberta

Oilpricesarelikelytoremainsteadydueto geopoliticaleventsincludingreplacingRussian production,restrainedcapitalspending,and policiesintheU.S.andCanadathathardlygive producerstheconfidencetoaggressivelyinvestin newsupplies.

all-time basement of US$3.50 because of pandemic lockdowns.

This was, as everyone knows, just awful.

In May WCS peaked at US$101.17, the highest price in 14 years. Alberta’s benchmark AECO gas tagged $6.53 GJ in June, also the highest value since 2008.

Combined with increased production volumes from oil sands, these are the headline numbers people get excited about. Alberta-based producers made so much money that after third-quarter financial results were released, they earned a personal attack from the federal government.

Steven Guilbeault, minister of Environment and Climate Change and former environmental crusader, posted a video about producers making a lot of money without investing in emission reductions.

A CTV News report read, “The federal environment minister is calling out Canada’s oil companies for failing to put cash behind their promises to tackle climate change.

Steven Guilbeault says the country’s major oil players have promised to do something about greenhouse gas emissions, but instead have funnelled most of their record-breaking profits to shareholders. This is at least the third time in the last six months Guilbeault’s frustration has spilled over as oil company profits soar.”

In 21st century politics, old habits die hard.

Alberta’s treasury is also doing great. After reporting a budget surplus for the first time in years, the second-quarter budget update read, “The 2022-23 first quarter revenue forecast has dramatically changed, with West Texas

Intermediate oil prices expected to be US$22 per barrel higher than estimate in Budget 2022, and resource revenue up $14.6 billion.”

Revising its Budget 2022 estimates, for 2022/23 Alberta now forecasts resource revenue could reach $28.4 billion and provide 37.4 per cent of provincial revenue. This is a percentage of total government revenue not seen since 2000/01 or 2005/06.

Oil prices are likely to remain steady due to geopolitical events including replacing Russian production, restrained capital spending, and policies in the U.S. and Canada that hardly give producers the confidence to aggressively invest in new supplies.

Gas prices will firm up permanently when LNG Canada starts exporting 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2025. This is over 10 per cent of total Canadian output. Other LNG projects on the west and east coast are in the works.

But the most significant change is the political and economic engagement of a generation of Canadians confronting problems it has never seen – wars, shortages, inflation and rising interest and mortgage rates.

Statistics Canada reports that of Canada’s 38 million people in 2021, 15 million (nearly 40 per cent) were aged 15 to 44, born in 1977 or later. This includes the so-called “millennials,” those born from the early 1980s to the late 1990s.

Nobody of this age would remember the high energy prices and gasoline shortages of the 1970s, the double-digit interest rates and inflation rates of the 1980s, unemployment rates of 10 per cent or more from 1982 to 1985, or falling housing prices.

The Great Reversal – A Promising New Future For Alberta | David Yager

The Great ReversalA Promising New Future For Alberta

Alberta did particularly poorly in the early 1980s as oil prices collapsed, banks went broke, and house prices sank to the point that homeowners walked away from their equity and sold their houses and mortgages for $1.

Another factor affecting policy is urbanization. Today over 80 per cent of Canadians live in towns and cities. It was only 60 per cent in 1951 and 13 per cent in 1851. This means that more people than ever don’t know where anything comes from, not helpful for resource producers like Alberta.

These are the voters who were easily persuaded that climate change and fossil fuels were bad, wind and solar electricity were good, and politicians who campaigned for climate change policies and against fossil fuels had their best interests at heart.

With urban voters, fuel came from a gas pump, electricity from a wall socket and food from the grocery store. What else did they need to know?

That has all changed as billions of people have been introduced to a troubling new world where the essentials of life aren’t always cheap and readily available.

Or that developed countries previously thought to be past military conflicts and territorial expansion are killing each other with weapons supplied from all over the world.

The travesty affecting Europe is disturbing for many. Europe has always been a stable, safe and fascinating place for an exotic vacation. History. Exotic food. Great wine. Art masterpieces. Fascinating architecture.

Today Europe is serious trouble over energy and the economy.

It seems like just the other day when it was very fashionable for important people from all over to trash Fort McMurray and Alberta’s massive oil sands.

Banks and institutional investors singled out Alberta bitumen for special persecution. Export pipelines west, south and east were opposed or cancelled.

Now all this hostility is directed towards Moscow.

This spring the federal government assured the International Energy Agency in Europe that Canada could increase oil output by 300,000 barrels per day to offset Russian crude. “We’ll take it!” they said. Nobody cared about what type it was or where it was produced.

Countries are rapidly reversing their views about fossil fuels out of necessity. Coal is making a big comeback. New supplies of non-Russian oil and natural gas are important.

Sanity has returned. Regrettably, at a terrible cost.

But that changes everything for Alberta.

Finally.

What could go wrong? There will be an election next year. We’ll save that for another column. BOE

David Yager is a Calgary oil service executive, energy policy analyst, writer and author. He is president and CEO of Winterhawk Casing Expansion, a new wellbore and methane remediation technology company. His 2019 book From Miracle to Menace - Alberta, A Carbon Story is available at www.miracletomenace.ca.

David Yager | The Great Reversal – A Promising New Future For Alberta

KASI TECHNOLOGIES HAS WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU

by Rennay Craats

Scott Fong has done a lot for the heat treatment industry, both on projects as a Red Seal, Blue Seal Journeyman welder and field heat treatment technician as well as behind the scenes assisting in the development of the Field Heat Treatment Technician occupation. Perhaps his largest contribution was creating KASI Technologies in 2006.

This hands-on founder built his company from the ground up, making KASI Technologies the industry leader in the area of sales, rentals and service of specialty mechanical equipment. The company’s roots were set in welding pre-heat equipment and boast the best maintained and largest rental fleet of this type of equipment in the country.

KASI is also the authorized distributor of Hotfoil-EHS products, Hi-Force hydraulic tools, Mactech Machining equipment and Plarad Torque tools. The company rents out a variety of bolting tools, hydraulic lifting products and field machining equipment to a range of clients across the country.

NEED IT

Jason Taylor

Jason Bindon

Darcy Durand

“Typically, we define our clients in regard to steel fabrication and repair. We have a large client base in the petrochemical sector and pipelines but we do a lot of work with clients in mining equipment repair, power generation, shipyards and even the renewables sector,” says Jason Bindon, general manager for KASI Technologies. Most clients are located and working in the steel fabrication and repair industry in Western Canada but KASI has expanded its geographic scope across the country and has a growing number of international customers as well.

With its growing portfolio of quality products and services available to a growing number of clients across Canada, the company has enjoyed significant expansion over the past two years. This necessitated the opening of a new 9,500-square-foot facility in Sherwood Park that allowed the company to expand its offerings and capabilities and a new branch in Fort McMurray established this fall to better support its northern Alberta clients.

The company also grew by one important employee with the addition of Jason Bindon as the general manager, which allowed Fong to leave the day-to-day operations to his GM so he could devote more time and attention to product-line management and product development. Bindon brings technical savvy as well as a solutions-based focus to the company that fits well with KASI’s continual evolution in the field. Bindon’s addition to the team with Fong, Darcy Durand and Jason Taylor combines for over 80 years of industry knowledge backed by field experience.

“We bring a lot of value on the technical side of things, on the applications, on how this equipment is being used, and we’ve been able to take that knowledge and experience and help relate it back to the clients,” says Jason Bindon.

The Fort McMurray shop stocked and ready to go!

In fact, it’s KASI’s technical knowledge that sets it apart from the competition and that has spurred its growth over the past 16 years. The team isn’t satisfied just writing up a rental agreement or bill of sale for equipment; they use their technical expertise and vast experience gained from servicing and operating the equipment to ensure clients get the right piece of equipment that’ll make their project successful. KASI represents multiple manufacturers, enjoying exclusivity with some, but the team never recommends a product that isn’t the best application for the job. The team digs deeper into the specifics of the project or application to find out exactly what clients need the equipment to do and then find the best and most cost-effective path to achieve that goal.

Clients have come to equate KASI with quality, making it the preferred partner for large and small projects across industry sectors. And partnerships are exactly what the company is interested in fostering. KASI was never intended to be just a tool rental company; the team wants to develop longterm relationships with clients that help them expand their productivity or grow their business into areas previously unattainable without KASI’s equipment and training.

“We’re not a company that just wants to provide a piece of equipment. We want to provide a proper solution to our clients and ensure their successful execution of projects,” Bindon says.

Clients find out quickly that KASI isn’t a standard sales and rental shop. What started as a product specialist sales and rental company now has considerable value-added services that elevate KASI to a class all its own. The subject matter experts at the company offer technical support and advice along with training on both rented and purchased equipment to set clients up for success. The team also offers engineering and design support on KASI’s products, making them unique in today’s market.

KASI carries the largest inventory of welding pre-heat equipment and consumables in Canada, but if the company doesn’t have exactly what a client needs, the KASI team will customize a piece of equipment or application to more precisely meet their needs. They have become trusted solutions advisors.

“KASI has really developed a client base that requires a change within the industry, a change to the types of equipment that has been used in the industry for years, and that want to evolve the technology that has been the custom over the past 30 years and moving toward a new technology age,” Bindon says.

KASI Technologies is constantly evolving, looking for better ways to connect with clients while growing its product lines and valueadded services. It seeks out trailblazers in the market to partner with to revolutionize the

industry as it streamlines its incredible service for clients.

Jason Bindon is proud of the integrity, quality and innovation upon which the company was built, and he would love to take the foundation that the team has developed in Alberta and recreate it across North America.

“What got us here is not what is going to keep us here tomorrow,” he says. And with incredible service, high-quality products and innovative technicians, tomorrow looks pretty great for KASI Technologies.

Plarad Nut Runner and Hi-Force Cylinders being inspected prior to shipping.

SUPPORTING AND EMPOWERING WOMEN IN ENERGY

by Melanie Darbyshire

Calgary Women in Energy (CWiE) was formed in 2002 by six founders as a way to support and empower women in the energy sector. At a time when there weren’t many female groups in the male dominated energy industry, the group provided a means to share ideas, talk about the industry and help each other. It was a circle to rely upon.

Twenty years later, the non-profit organization is stronger than ever with its membership numbers having grown year over year, now topping 200. As Calgary’s energy industry has evolved during this time, expanding and contracting through the cycles, CWiE has remained steadfast for its members, a continuous source of support for them.

A range of events focused on CWiE’s three core pillars – philanthropy, education and networking – provide members with opportunities to learn, meet others and give back to the community.

“The beauty of CWiE is that it’s a real mix of women in different stages of their careers,” says Rayna Oryniak, president of the organization. “We have women who are just starting out and others who have been in the industry for 40 years. It’s really awesome to have all these women at different stages and levels all come together to support each other, learn from each other and give back to this industry and the community.”

As a philanthropic organization, CWiE donates all of the money it raises to the charity its members choose. Its Annual Golf Tournament is the major fundraising event of the year, and this year raised $101,774, the most money in CWiE’s

Rayna Oryniak

history. “We compile a list of charities that align with our goals and values and our members vote on those,” Oryniak explains. “Since we started 20 years ago, we have raised close to a million dollars for charity.”

For the last two years, the organization has supported the Women’s Centre of Calgary. “They have a lot of programs that focus on supporting women and girls in vulnerable positions within their family life,” Oryniak says. “They do a lot of great work.” In the past, CWiE has supported the Children’s Cottage Society and the Louise Dean Centre, among others.

The $100 per year membership fee that CWiE charges also goes to support the chosen charity.

RAYNA ORYNIAK ON THE PURPOSE OF CALGARY WOMEN IN ENERGY

Supporting and Empowering Women in Energy

“We do charge for some of our other events, but for the most part they are free and easy to access,” Oryniak says.

One such popular event is the monthly Mix n’ Mingler held directly after a technical session. The Mix n’ Mingler is open to any professional in the industry, regardless of gender. “It is our dedicated networking event,” Oryniak explains. “We’ve just partnered with the Petroleum Club so now we host both the Mix n’ Mingler and the technical session there. It’s a really good opportunity for members who are new or perhaps uncomfortable in a networking environment to practice their networking, particularly to people outside their line of work.”

“Everyone is there for the same reason,” she continues, “to network and expand their connections. To talk about the industry in general or about their roles in their company. Members really enjoy the environment we’ve created to network in, without feeling intimidated.”

The technical sessions, which precede the Mix n’ Mingler, provide the opportunity for members to learn about one aspect of the industry for an hour. “The topics vary, but we do try to keep them aligned with what’s going on in today’s events and energy,” Oryniak says. “In the past we’ve had the CEO of Broadview Energy, Christopher Ryan, who spoke about starting up an energy company, and we’ve had Amber Kirby from Capital Power Corporation, to speak about carbon credits and offsets. These are just a few examples of our speakers.”

“Our speakers come from such different backgrounds, from engineering to business development to supply chain to CEOs,” she continues. “It’s really interesting to hear from these individuals who play these different parts in the industry, but it’s all connected at the end of the day. A lot of our members connect with the speakers and build relationships further.”

CWiE’s First Inaugural “Allies in Energy”. Speakers and CWiE’s Board of Directors.

Every quarter CWiE also hosts a members’ breakfast, which include different speakers who aren’t necessarily from the industry. “This last breakfast we had Jennifer Koury from Board Ready Women talk about women on boards, the statistics, how to get on a for profit board and earn an income,” Oryniak says. “We’ve had a wealth management professional speak about finances in the past as well. The focus at the breakfasts is a little more on personal or professional development.”

The other key event that will be held once a year in February is the Allies in Energy Executive Forum. The event features panels of leaders from the industry who discuss their experiences. Last year’s event featured Susannah Pierce, president and country chair of Shell Canada, among others. “We’re in the planning stages for Allies in Energy next year,” Oryniak explains. “Since starting the event in 2020, we’ve sold it out every year.”

“We’ve had Indigenous leaders, both male and female, present,” she continues. “We’ve evolved Allies from being just women in the industry to include Indigenous leaders, men and women, and we really focus on those personal experiences. The message for Allies is ‘building trust in community in a challenged environment’.”

In addition to its own events, CWiE participates in many conferences, including the Global Energy Show, the International Pipeline Expo, the Shutdowns Turnarounds Superconference and Carbon Capture Canada (in Edmonton). “We usually have a booth and invite members to attend and volunteer at it,” Oryniak says.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, CWiE remained active. “We really needed to keep that sense of community alive since we felt like a lot of our members were disconnected,” Oryniak recalls. “We kept up with our technical sessions

and the networking events via Zoom, and we’d just talk about what was going on, how people were coping. We kept that sense of community among our members.”

Today, just over one-third of Canada’s energy workers are women. There exists still, Oryniak points out, real barriers that all women face, regardless of industry. “Namely childcare, flexible working schedules, personal connections and ‘the old boys club’ mentality is still very persistent,” she laments. “A common theme is feeling like women are never qualified enough and lack the confidence and/or support and mentorship/sponsorship to advance.”

CWiE’s First Inaugural “Allies in Energy”. Opening Remarks

CWiE 20th Annual Mixed Charity Golf Tournament (2022).

CWiE aims to rectify some of these issues, in particular with its mentorship program. “Often our mentors learn just as much from their mentees as vice versa,” Oryniak marvels.

Women desiring to join CWiE must be employed with 80 per cent of their work in the energy industry. “But we’ve had lots of women who were laid off or looking for work in energy,

who really wanted to join,” Oryniak notes.

“So we’ve created a career postings page and group. We can still support women in the industry and stay true to our directive as written in our bylaws.”

Eighty per cent of new members come by word of mouth, while the other 20 per cent is from CWiE’s growing social media presence. “We’ve been trying to elevate our brand and messaging and provide value to our members through those three pillars,” Oryniak explains. “And I feel like that’s really resonated with women in the industry and our male allies.”

She notes there’s so much opportunity in the industry with many new technologies coming into play, in particular to support an energy transition: “I personally think that women are going to play a huge part in this new energy landscape, and be leaders in this transition. We all believe in this energy community and we’re trying to make it better, more inclusive and equitable,” she opines. “I feel like there’s a momentum and a shift happening in that direction. There are a lot more opportunities for women to get involved, share their voice, experience and expertise.”

“CWiE has come a long way from six founders to now,” Oryniak reflects. “I’m just really excited to see where the group’s going to go. We’ll continue to provide value for our members, and support and empower one another. That’s what I love about it.”

To learn more about CWiE go to www.calgarywomeninenergy.com. BOE

WiE’s Members volunteering at the Net-Zero conference and Expo.

Blackstone Industrial Services 10 YEARS OF REDEFINING SERVICE

by Rennay Craats

Most successful businesses are built on hard work, a good idea and a bit of divine intervention. In 2009, Allan Schofield and Alex Fulthorpe’s paths collided across a major oil and gas producer’s packed boardroom table, and they quickly recognized talent in each other. Over late-night beers, they spoke about how poorly the sector was being serviced and how they knew there was a better way. With a common entrepreneurial itch, they agreed to stay in touch.

“We realized we both had quite a bit of skill, and we knew we could develop a far better experience for both customers and employees alike,” says Alex Fulthorpe, executive vice president of Blackstone Industrial Services.

Allan Schofield

Alex Fulthorpe P.Eng

Blackstone Industrial Services. • Celebrating 10 Years

Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

It took a few years, but when Schofield saw an opportunity with a multinational oil and gas company in 2012, he jumped at it. The client was streamlining the business by reducing their maintenance staff and bringing in a third-party millwright service to maintain their Fort Saskatchewan plant. Schofield launched Blackstone Industrial Services from his kitchen table with a team of one, offering critical industrial rotating equipment service. When the client had an equipment breakdown shortly after, he recruited four of the best millwrights he knew to work on the site, and very quickly four, turned into 16 working days and nights to get the client running.

With a loan and a significant purchase order from the client as proof that he could cover payroll for the first months, Schofield learned how to grow his company.

“I was a millwright, not a businessperson, so I had to learn the concept of fast invoicing, fast collections, and cash flow on the fly. I got these instant lessons in business, and it was happening really fast. I managed to keep the ship off the rocks while figuring out how to drive it,” says Schofield.

Blackstone Industrial Services.

He carefully captained the ship and wanted to ensure Blackstone was sustainable before he brought others on board. He knew the risks of starting a business and wasn’t prepared to invite other professionals to uproot their lives and join him if it wasn’t successful.

It only took a few months to see that Blackstone was on an upward trajectory and that Schofield needed a team to continue the rise. Fulthorpe, an engineer turned sales professional, joined Blackstone in February 2013, and together they set out to realize their goal of redefining service in the industry. As an independently owned company, they didn’t have to fixate on quarterly earnings for shareholders and instead they could build a company on integrity, quality service and reliable relationships knowing that success would follow.

“We were a small independent company so, we could focus and prioritize what we knew was critical to clients and employees, and we allowed financial performance to be a byproduct of this new definition of success,” says Schofield.

Establishing a steady pipeline of work and hiring the best people in the business was essential to execute it well. Blackstone worked to qualify itself with several multinational companies and continued to prove its ability to deliver. They were the new experts in town focused on rotating equipment with an appetite to execute and a barn

Over the past 10 years, this small Alberta company has grown into a global one with two repair shops, multiple offices, a staff of 165 (swelling to 400+ depending on project loading) operating across Canada and into the United States, SubSaharan Africa, Latin America and Europe.

“A big focus was always developing the product as we grew to be that classleading service provider, and at the same time building a culture people coveted working in,” says Schofield.

In a market that suffers from a scarcity of tradespeople, especially the highly skilled trades required at Blackstone, the company continues to attract and retain quality people with its team atmosphere, high standards and the desire to help employees develop and grow in their careers.

“We have a high level of extremely talented individuals that are armed to the teeth with knowledge. We all share knowledge and we bring ourselves up as a collective group, so it doesn’t matter who goes into any site at any time, clients are getting a world-class product,” says Schofield.

Employees are proud to represent the Blackstone brand every day, and that pride shows in their professionalism and quality output for clients.

As the company expands into other markets and explores new opportunities, it will continue to be a valuable partner to its elite clientele and provide that world-class product and quality service that has become synonymous with the Blackstone brand. In many ways, 10 years is just the beginning.

Photos by Rebecca Lippiatt

TIME TO SEIZE THE ENERGY OPPORTUNITY

by Cody Battershill

As energy consumers around the world look to the future with unease, Canadians increasingly find themselves in a unique position. We can actually do something about energy shortages, here and abroad.

But that’s only possible if we find the political will to take up the challenge.

There’s already increased willingness in Ottawa to allow expanded Canadian energy exports through the coming year. As the world moves toward 2023, that’s welcome news.

If you’ve been watching the media, you’ll know that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson have each recently made public their wishes for Canada’s energy and natural resources sectors to help meet world demand.

Without doubt, this evolution in federal sentiment towards Canadian energy and other natural resources comes at a critical time for global energy security and the environment.

These statements underline a fact that’s crucial to Canada Action: The world benefits when more Canadian energy and other natural resource products – not less – are traded on the world market.

Canadians know the country’s energy sector is committed to improving its environmental initiatives while Canada retains reliable access to energy in all its forms.

Need proof?

A poll conducted mid-September for Canada Action by Research Co. questioned 1,000 adults online across Canada and found strong support for Canadian energy. More than half thought it wrong for Canada to forfeit energy opportunities to other countries with higher

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, when thinking about liquid natural gas (LNG).

Seventy-five per cent agreed exporting responsible, reliable Canadian energy, expertise and technology to reduce global GHG emissions is one way Canada can play an important role in addressing climate action.

And more than three-in-five Canadians agreed investing in Canada’s oil and gas sector makes sense if you value climate leadership, social progress and transparency.

But in spite of growing support among Canadians, the fact remains that, with only one exception, almost 20 LNG projects proposed for Canada’s West Coast have been left behind. Meanwhile, Argentina, Mexico, the U.S., Australia, the UAE, Nigeria, Qatar and others are moving ahead with expanded exports – ultimately at the expense of Canadian market share.

The good news is that Canada’s national will is finally catching up with public sentiment. Canadians know we have a crucial role to play in energy security and sustainability, worldwide. Canada’s LNG GHG emissions will be the lowest on the planet, our environment and human rights regulations are among the world’s most stringent, and our Indigenous communities want to move their energy projects ahead.

So here’s to 2023. Let’s keep pushing for expanded projects, good Canadian jobs, a reduction in our cost of living and increased Canadian prosperity. BOE

Cody Battershill is a Calgary realtor and founder / spokesperson for CanadaAction. ca, a volunteer-initiated group that supports Canadian natural resources sector and the environmental, social and economic benefits that come with it.

WOMEN IN ENERGY

Lisa Listgarten, P.Eng. (AB), Executive Project Director, Fluor Canada

Generations of young girls were convinced that they couldn’t excel in STEM and this education bias kept them from testing that theory. Thankfully, women like Lisa Listgarten didn’t listen to the message that girls aren’t good at math or science and instead forged a path through both as a civil and structural engineering student. The Queens University graduate found her first job at Fluor Canada in 1995 and has never left.

When she started out, Listgarten was one of few women working in the field but her male colleagues at Fluor saw her talent not her gender. They have encouraged and supported her throughout her career, working by her side as she gained experience on a variety of energy and chemicals projects ranging from small upgrades or facility revamps to huge refinery and plant projects.

“I started with Fluor as a structural engineer and then worked my way into other things like quality assurance and project business services, which is project finance and accounting,” says Lisa Listgarten, project director at Fluor. “I did a couple of other unusual side projects and then worked my way back into engineering and ultimately through to project management.”

As a project director for Fluor, the overall execution of projects, some of which tally into the hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars, is her responsibility; that execution can include any combination of the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of a project. Listgarten is involved from the initial proposal phase that lays out the scope, execution, schedule, staff requirements and budget through to executing the plan by guiding the team to get the project done on budget and on time.

“It is really a big mix of elements including technical, commercial, contractual, communications and relationship building,” she says.

Her current project is an exciting and pivotal one for both Fluor Canada and the industry as a whole. Listgarten is heading the engineering and procurement scope for a renewable diesel project that will be built in the Edmonton area. Once completed, this project will make it one of the largest renewable diesel production facilities in the country, and Listgarten’s team is proud to be part of delivering sustainable, lower carbon energy solutions to the market.

“The project is in that energy transition space and people are pretty pumped about being part of it,” she says. “What has made this project in particular really awesome is the people, the team, both Fluor and client, and one thing we are really trying to promote is making it a project that people want to work on.”

Fluor’s amazing team is inspired by the forward-thinking work being done there and that excitement generates more innovative ideas and delivers better results for clients. Listgarten is at the helm of an impressive group of high-achieving professionals who are thrilled to be working on such an important project.

After all, the people make the project and, companywide, Fluor Canada’s focus on people can be seen in its dedication to fostering a diverse workforce to better serve clients. That includes adding more female voices to the conversations at all levels of the company.

“I think we are seeing this cultural shift industrywide and across countries, where over the years we are seeing more women moving

Lisa Listgarten, P.Eng. (AB), Executive Project Director, Fluor Canada