Oilfield PULSE December 2014

E

SU , S IS OYS JOY THI S, T M A S BOY IST CHR AND

$5.99 DECEMBER 2014

THE FAMILY OF

DITCH HITCH SAVING LIVES WITH THEIR REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCT

SAGGING

OIL PRICES THE INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTOR THE REAL ESTATE

BUBBLE

COMPANY

XMAS PARTIES DESIGNATED DRIVERS BUILDING BUSINESS

RELATIONS FIGHTING DIABETES

10 GREAT GIFT IDEAS FOR HIM

OPERATIONS REPORT MANAGER BENEFIT

#1

BUILD A FUNCTIONAL OPERATIONS DATABASE EASILY IMPORT A SELECTION OF VENDORS, CONTACTS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, & INVENTORIES FROM YOUR HISTORICAL WELL DATA.

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For a live presentation of our Operations Report Manager module and the powerful Field Cost Manager call us toll free at 1-866-883-8848 or click the link to schedule a demo.

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BENEFACTOR

YOUR PARTNER IN SUCCESS National Bank helps to free up your working capital for success!

Our team is proud to be a ďŹ nancing partner of the Oil Field Services Industry.

Our mission is to help buyers and sellers fund the growing credit demands in today’s extended cash conversion cycles, from inventory purchases or capital outlays to supporting ever greater demands for longer payment terms both within Canada and abroad.

Your partner in business, International Trade - Calgary Alberta Ibrahim Alsalibi: 403-592-8515, ext. 27024 ibrahim.alsalibi@nbc.ca

nbc.ca

DECEMBER 2014

contents FEATURES

12 14 18

Type One to Type None JDRF’s quest to end type 1 diabetes

A Driving Force

12 14

Some options to get you home safe

Boys & Toys

26 18 18

When you’re buying gifts for him, hit any one of these categories and you’ll be safe

24

True Colors

Proper use of color is essential to tap into consumer behavior and achieve desired outcomes

44 56

To Carry One’s Weight A personal story of getting healthy + recipies

HUB Connect Event

24

Pajak Engineering Ltd.

44 42 4

Seasonal Flavours The best spirits for fall

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

56 34 About the Cover The Ditch Hitch Family Saving lives with their revolutionary product Cover By Kyle K. Fujita

ADVOCATE

STABILIZE

PROBLEM SHALES

AND REDUCE

COSTS

PRODUCT DELIVERY AVAILABLE FROM 13 WAREHOUSES AROUND CANADA An independent Canadian drilling & completion fluid Company providing quality of service and experience.

1 403 233 2500 | pinnaclefluids.com

DECEMBER 2014

contents

10

DEPARTMENTS

10 16 28 30

CEO Message Sagging oil prices-here we go again!

The Independent Contractor Writing a new chapter in its history

16

28

Real Estate Are we really on the brink of bursting?

Can You Relate?

Some of the most successful people in the world have mastered the art of building relationships

40 48 58 60

Calgary Women in Energy

40

The Gift of Giving

Local Eats

Barcelona Tavern - Spanish cuisine

Trouble with Change Change management in December?

30

40

Alternative Health Supplements for athletics

52

A Company Christmas Party

6

The holidays are upon us, and a company holiday party is just the way to kick off the festive season!

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

48 60

YOUR GLOBAL

ADVOCATE

OILFIELD STAFFING SOLUTION

WELLSITE SUPERVISION Pajak maintains a certification database that allows us to ensure that a supervisor’s tickets are always current before they go out on any job. Pajak senior technical staff are available on a 24 hour/day back-up to all supervisors and engineers.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT We provide experienced, dependable project management staff to oil & gas sites around the globe. Our team knows how to get the job done, and is insured, certified, and be IRP (industry recommended practices) #7 and IRP #16 compliant.

Contact Us

Contact Us

WORK FOR US We are constantly searching for highly qualified, safety conscious individuals to expand and maintain the company’s high standards. We provide the very best in field supervision and project management to the oil and gas industry.

Apply With Pajak PAJAKENG.COM | 403-264-1197(24HOURS)

Subscriptions@OilfieldPULSE.com TELEPHONE 1-403-537-6560 TOLL FREE 1-866-883-8848 For advertising inquiries or editorial submissions please contact: Production@LeadstoneGroup.com

CEO KEVIN TURKO | Kevin.Turko@LeadstoneGroup.com

PUBLISHER/VICE PRESIDENT SALES DAVE O’CONNOR | Dave.OConnor@LeadstoneGroup.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR KYLE K. FUJITA | Kyle.Fujita@LeadstoneGroup.com

MANAGING EDITOR ANDREA TURKO | Andrea.Turko@LeadstoneGroup.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AMANDA LEE | Amanda.Lee@LeadstoneGroup.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BARB LEE | Barb.Lee@LeadstoneGroup.com

NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER CHAD CARBNO | Chad.Carbno@LeadstoneGroup.com

DIRECTOR - CLIENT RELATIONS KAREN KEITH | Karen.Keith@LeadstoneGroup.com FINANCE & ADMIN JEANNIE YIP | Finance_Admin@LeadstoneGroup.com

OILFIELD PULSE

ADVERTISING INDEX 2 HUB OPERATIONS REPORT MANAGER

27 BLACK BETTY BURGER & WINE BAR

61 HUB VENDOR OF THE MONTH

3 NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA

33 DATA SHAPERS INC.

61 VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

5 PINNACLE DRILLING FLUIDS LTD.

39 OILFIELD HUB

63 ARIZONA VACATION RENTALS INC.

7 PAJAK ENGINEERING LTD.

47 CATCH RESOURCES INC.

64 PLAINS FABRICATION

9 EVOLUTION OIL TOOLS INC.

51 ENERGY AUCTIONS INC.

13 MILLENNIUM DIRECTIONAL SERVICE LTD.

55 SIDELINE GRILL & SPORTS LOUNGE

© 2014 by Leadstone Group Inc.

For advertising inquiries or editorial submissions please contact: Production@LeadstoneGroup.com

SPONSORED BY

PUBLISHED BY

OILFIELDHUB.COM

LEADSTONEGROUP.COM

The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this publication is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

Disclaimer: The messages expressed in this publication do not represent the views of Oilfield PULSE, Leadstone Group or affiliated companies.

Publication Number: 42420518

ADVOCATE

CEO MESSAGE

I

SAGGING OIL PRICES SO HERE WE GO AGAIN!

This month I would like to give a big shout out to the entire Energy Services Group at National Bank of Canada, our lastest HUB Benefactor in our Oilfield HUB online business community. We are very excited to have National Bank as our financial services thought leader! National’s regional focus on energy services companies, and their financing needs, will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our customer’s and their businesses. We look forward to working with their account management teams in Calgary and Edmonton as one of our VIP HUB Benefactor clients. Welcome aboard!

10

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

f you’re involved in the oil and gas industry in any way, sagging oil prices conjure fear and uncertainty from all corners of the industry. As our American neighbors celebrated their Thanksgiving long weekend, if you’re an employer or employee of an exploration and production company, or an energy services company supporting them, Black Friday has an entirely different meaning for energy business insiders. Another round of belt tightening is already underway as the industry faces the prospect of a prolonged downturn in oil and gas prices.

On a personal front, it is extremely tough to open your retail wallet when you are impacted by nagging thoughts of job security as potential layoffs loom in your company. Whether these are real or unfounded concerns, we are all human, and more often than not, we can’t help ourselves from thinking this way when we are surrounded by the 24 hour instant news cycle. Watching the morning news shows, we are all led to think the best possible outcome of dwindling oil prices, are lower costs at the pump. Sure, I’m a consumer too, and who doesn’t enjoy lower gas prices. I sure do! But my euphoria quickly vanishes as I look around our office at all of the faces in our business who depend upon a healthy, prosperous and growing oil and gas industry.

So, here we go again! Where and how do exploration and production companies find those extra notches when tightening their belts to shed operating costs and reduce AFE budgets?

The initial salvo, cut back or cancel planned or committed drilling programs. This doesn’t shed current costs, but certainly keeps those precious dollars close to home and in your bank account. But this approach immediately stifles future growth and access to new capital as your income statement continues to bleed due to lower prices. As the saying goes, the minute your company stops growing, is the same time your company begins to die!

Another cost-cutting salvo in any downturn, is shedding our most valuable resource, our human resources. The unfortunate outcome of rolling back expenses! This has an immediate positive impact on our balance sheets, but takes a huge toll

on future operations, and on our ability to ramp back up when oil prices return to a more favorable levels.

The salvo closest to our doorstep is helping exploration and production companies take costs out of existing and future operations to become leaner, meaner and more cost effective. Sure, operators could simply do all of this on the backs of their suppliers in the form of lower prices for products and services, but without vibrant and profitable preferred vendors, their supply chains will suffer and those negative ramifications will seep back into their own strained income statements. While this likely still has to be part of the cost-cutting equation, operators must also look internally to their own project management, product/service sourcing activities, vendor management, operations reporting, field cost management to find great cost efficiencies, while at the same time reducing non-productive time.

For some companies it is relatively easy to immediately halt drilling, and other well-site projects, but for many micro-juniors and juniors with upcoming expiring leases, this decision isn’t so easy, and perhaps at times is simply a non-starter. If they don’t spud by a certain date, they lose potential production toward their future prosperity. They miss out on improving cash flows, and they walk past the all so important access to external capital expenditure funding opportunities.

Black Friday is now followed by the hopes of

significant increased online retail sales on Cyber Monday! One phenomenal way the retail industry has reduced their operating costs, to increase sales and improve their bottom lines, all in a high pressure environment of lower prices. Perhaps the oil and gas industry can take a page or two out of their marketing and operations playbooks to find new and innovative ways to explore, produce and operate at a reduced cost point, and still function competitively at lower price levels that are now a current reality for us all.

Kevin Turko CEO LEADSTONE GROUP 403.537.6561

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

11

CAUSES

TYPE ONE TO

TYPE NONE JDRF’S QUEST TO END TYPE 1 DIABETES

A

dvancements in Diabetes research, man­ age­ment and overall quality of life have come a long way in the past 100 years.

In 1900 the chance of survival following a type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis was 0%; fast forward to 2014 and Diabetics are living full, robust and most importantly, long lives.

Enter JDRF; we exist to fund the best research in Canada and across the globe and will continue to do so until Type One becomes Type None. Our research initiatives have paved the way for some of the most exciting and ground breaking advancements in Diabetes history including the first ever artificial pancreas and insulin producing encapsulation project being used in humans, right here in Alberta.

So what does all of this mean? This means that our vision of a world where children and adults alike who have had to endure countless finger pokes, blood tests and needles are one step closer to finally being able to experience a life free of Diabetes. They can enjoy the things that non-diabetics take for granted and loved ones can rest easy knowing that lows and highs are a thing of the past.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

These outcomes are a result of our generous community rallying behind us; pooling their time, energy and resources and helping us turn this vision into realty. This holiday season, when considering your gift to charity; please consider JDRF. Our vision of turning Type One into Type None is only possible through your support and the funds raised through cornerstone events such as the Ride for Diabetes Research, The TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes and the Calgary Hope Gala.

We invite you to visit us at www.jdrf.ca or call 403.255.7100 and email: Calgary@jdrf.ca to learn more about our research, events and ways in which you can give.

FROM EVERYONE AT JDRF WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST THIS HOLIDAY SEASON & A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

YOUR

DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

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A DRIVING

FORCE

With the holiday season upon us, that also means party season is in full swing. From corporate parties to gatherings with friends and family, there always seems to be another party right around the corner. No matter what you have going on this time of year, you don’t want to risk driving under the influence. What you need is a Designated Driving Service.

We have found several Calgary organizations that help get you (and your car) home safely.

KEYS PLEASE keysplease.net With services in Calgary, Medicine Hat, Prince George and more locations coming soon, their service began in 1997. They are one of the pioneers and leaders in the designated driving service. Keys Please offers a designated driver to drive you in your own vehicle or will deliver just your vehicle. They are committed in the effort of making our streets and highways a safer place to travel.

14

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

DRIVER’S CHOICE mydesignateddriver.com Servicing the Calgary and surrounding area since 1999, Driver’s Choices’ Professional Designated Drivers will not only prevent you from facing a DUI, they will drive you and your vehicle home safely. All that is required is once you are registered with their service, you book them, give them your keys and they will drive you safely home.

DDKINGZ ddkingz.com/calgary DDKingz Designated Drivers offers their service within Calgary and surrounding area as an alternative to drinking and driving. Their drivers are reliable, professional designated drivers over the age of 25 with years of driving experience. All their teams are manned with two drivers. One driver will drive you and your vehicle to your designated destination. The other driver follows to pick up his/her partner at the end of the trip. DDKingz offers a safe ride for those that are unable to drive safely home.

DRIVING KNIGHTS drivingknights.com Servicing Calgary and the surrounding area, their service provides you a driver to drive you and your

vehicle home when you are unable to drive yourself.

Driving Knights is committed in the effort of making our streets and highways a safer place to travel.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! COURTESY OF NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA

DRIVE ME HOME DESIGNATED DRIVERS drivemehomedd.com Serving Calgary and Airdrie, they offer driving solutions to ensure that you and those around you have an enjoyable time while keeping it safe. You can call ahead and reserve a personal driver to meet you at your location and you relax in your vehicle while their driver takes you to your destination.

Their services are also available for on-call as well.

They offer their customers flexibility to visit multiple destinations across town and, above all, offers peace of mind.

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WE-D.D. we-dd.com With friendly and professional drivers, We-D.D. has been a preferred designated driving service in Calgary and surrounding areas since 2009. Their service provides a driver to drive you and your vehicle home safe.

Andrea Turko MANAGING EDITOR OILFIELD PULSE

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

15

INSIDER

THE

INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTOR WRITING A NEW CHAPTER IN ITS HISTORY The independently incorporated contractor is no stranger to Alberta’s oil and gas industry. Many of the industry’s office and field workers operate their own busi­nesses and contract out their services to one or more clients. Until recently, there were several advantages to this arrangement, verses employment, for both the oil and gas companies as well as the contractors. The companies didn’t have the burden of employees and payroll and could hire help on a project-by-project basis. Contractors were also able to access significant tax savings through their corporations.

In 2011, the Income Tax Act was amended in an effort to capture the tax revenue and pension contributions the government was missing out on as result of this arrangement. The changes raised the corporate tax rate to 38% for those contractors deemed

by CRA as a Personal Services Corporation (aka Personal Services Business or “PSB”), which they define as, “Business that a corporation carries on to provide services to another entity

16

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

that an officer or employee of that entity would usually perform.”

This overly broad definition could encompass virtually all contractors in the market. For the purposes of determining who is subject to the new 38% tax rate and who is still eligible for the lower small business rates of 14%, CRA auditors perform a subjective assessment as to whether the contractor “behaves” like an employee.

THE TEST LOOKS AT FACTORS SUCH AS: • Contractor’s level of financial risk of loss and opportunity to profit • Contractor’s ability to sub-contract the contracted labour to another individual • Ownership of the tools used for the contracted work • Level of control over when, where, and how the contracted work is performed

contractors operating as PSBs and ADVOCATE facing the resulting taxation.

PajakPlus+ is a compliance and benefits umbrella for contractors.

It is an entity to work through, which provides, in addition to Pajak’s continued work placement efforts, the following: • Health insurance and health spending account • Professional insurance

If the CRA auditor assesses the contractor to be a PSB, then the contractor is at risk of having their income for up to three past filing years subject to re-assessment at the higher 38% rate, plus any applicable penalties and interest. For many, the re-assessment has exceeded 50% of their annual take home over those past years. It is a reality shaking the industry.

• WCB • Bookkeeping • Financial consultation • Income tax withholdings, including GST

THE PAJAKPLUS+ SOLUTION Pajak Engineering has been serving the oil and gas market since 1966. Pajak has built a solid reputation for providing qualified contractors to oil and gas companies and supporting their contractors with benefits. In continuing with their tradition of innovation and responsiveness to the marketplace, Pajak has rolled out PajakPlus+ as a solution for those

Most of all, PajakPlus+ provides an operating environment which removes contractors from the 38% PSB tax risk, provides compliant access to the small business tax environment, and creates the opportunity to income split, defer tax, and enjoy the many other advantages available prior to the 2011 changes.

For more information call Pajak’s office at 403-264-1197, or see www.pajakplus.com

By Chris Lassu ENGINEERING CONTROLLER

COST BENEFIT PSB

Salary

Contract Revenue $240,000.00 Net Contract Revenue $240,000.00

Contract Revenue $240,000.00 Net Contract Revenue $240,000.00

Contract Revenue Fees $240,000.00 Net Contract Revenue $234,000.00

Net Corporate Income

$141,360.00

Net Corporate Income

-

Net Corporate Income

Total Dividend

$141,360.00

Total Dividend

-

Total Dividend

Total CCP Total EI Total Personal Tax Personal Net Retained Earnings Total Cash

$13,271.00 $140,089.00 $140,089.00

Total Cost as a % of Revenue

42%

Total CCP Total EI Total Personal Tax Personal Net Retained Earnings Total Cash

$4,712.00 $2,138.00 $79,599.00 $153,022.00 $153,022.00

Total Cost as a % of Revenue 36%

* Assumes $1000/month for expenses, and 2 tax players are income splitting the dividends.

This table makes certain general assumptions regarding tax deductions. It is based on 2014 Alberta Corporate and Personal Tax Rates.

Total CCP Total EI Total Personal Tax Personal Net Retained Earnings Total Cash

$148,386.38 $74,193.00 $1,112.00 $411.00 $9.380.00 $97,704.00 $171,898.00

Total Cost as a % of Revenue 28% PajakPlus Benefit Over Salary

$18,875.00

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

17

GIFT IDEAS

Boys Toyz It’s been said before, and it will likely always be the case, that men never grow up. Women can attest that emotionally this has always been true, but as the Christmas season approaches, we are reminded men are just boys with more facial hair and nicer clothes.

For this upcoming Christmas season, stick to the basics when shopping for your guy. As long as you hit any one of these categories, I’d argue to say you’re safe.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

19

GIFT IDEAS FITNESS This will benefit both him and you. He’ll feel great in his new workout digs, and you’ll reap the benefits from a fit and happy counterpart. If he’s one of the growing population who has hopped on the triathlon train, then anything to do with his bike, running shoes, or maybe even a wet suit would be a great gift idea. Or maybe he’s recently found his inner peace and would appreciate some stylish yoga attire to impress his Zen-like classmates at bikram yoga.

Either way, fitness gear is always a safe bet.

VIDEO GAMES It pains me to encourage this behavior, but if your guy is holding onto his teenage years and is obsessed with video games, there are plenty of options for you.

If he were missing out on the latest gaming system, you’d probably get major points buying him that. Or if it’s the most recent Halo or Call of Duty he hasn’t gotten around to buying himself, bite your tongue and do the unthinkable to feed the boy inside him.

WATCHES Now this one I can get on board with! There is nothing sexier than a good-looking watch on a man. Watches will range from $100$5,000, so know your budget, find a style that suites him, and choose accordingly. Less expensive brands being Nixon, Fossil, Michael Kors, and Guess and the more expensive ones being Burberry, Movado, Rolex, and Cartier.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

ELECTRONICS No one can go wrong when venturing into these waters. All men love electronics and that will never change. Find out what he is missing and desperately cannot live without and spring for that if you want to ensure a touchdown. A new Bose system, the latest headphones, the iPhone 6, or maybe he just wants a iPad Mini because his regular size iPad is so two years ago.

SPORTS Your guy likes golfing, hockey, fishing, or football, but for women, it’s all the same. Sports are sports. Find his favorite and cater to that. If he’s been complaining he can’t hit the ball as far as his golf buddies, maybe he’s hinting he’d like a new driver. Or if he spends most of his time looking for his lost ball when he should be on his 3rd beer, there are a plethora of ball finder gadgets on the market calling his name.

Then again, maybe he’s more of a spectator sport guy, and he’d appreciate the full sports package from Shaw TV.

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

21

GIFT IDEAS

MEAT & LIQUOR Whether they are boys or men, the one thing that remains the same is they love to eat and drink.

Anything they can grill or BBQ is like candy to a baby. Now I’m not suggesting going to Costco and buying him 20 pounds of beef, but there are great grilling cookbooks out there he might appreciate. Maybe he has a thing for Bobby Flay but doesn’t have the time (or guts) to go buy his latest grilling creations. And it is no secret men love to drink, so whether his thing is wine or scotch, get him a bottle he’d never buy himself because it’s too expensive for the everyday cocktail party.

JEANS I cannot stress this one enough. The times have officially changed, and although he may still be that little boy inside, fashion has moved forward.

Don’t let him get left behind! Whether he is a businessman, indie inspired artist, athlete, or construction worker, having a good pair of jeans that fit is a must. That means as we approach 2015, every man needs a pair of slim straight jeans in their closet. Again, speaking from experience, there is nothing hotter then when I see guys in a tighter cut jean. Now hold on, take it easy! These jeans aren’t skintight, and they don’t show every nook and cranny of his goods. They simply fit him better than his old pair where he could fit three extra people inside with him.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

UNDERWEAR Now this one seems like a cruel joke, but I promise it’s not! Remember the looming threat as a child that if you didn’t behave you’d be getting socks and coal in your stocking. Well don’t lump underwear into this category, because recently the geniuses that specialize in comfort for the male package have gone above and beyond what we’ve seen before. Speaking as someone who has to hear about it every morning he slips it on, underwear that sectionalizes the package from the leg is the new best thing.

Saxx underwear is the future of male comfort down under.

SHAVING AND COLOGNE Whether he likes it clean cut or rocks the handsome scruffy look, having a good shaving kit is key. While no cologne at all is too understated and over doing it is much worse, find him a scent that suits him and turns you on in the process.

KNIVES This is relatively new to me, but after venturing down to Inglewood and getting lost for what seemed like hours in a very inspiring knife shop, I realized this would be a great gift. Men will never grow out of cutting into things. It must bring them back to cave man days where they would rip animals apart with their bare hands. A great knife set or a single samurailooking piece may be just what he’s into without even knowing it.

I would challenge any man who argues that not one of their passions or interests fall under one of these categories. Now it’s up to the person in his life to go out and get him one from each!

Jessica Bartsch #TAKEITORLEAVEIT

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

23

MARKETING

TRUE

COLORS DOES COLOR CHOICE MATTER?

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

Perceptions of how the effects of colour influence and engage your customers are very important factors when it comes to producing an environment or generating a recognizable brand for a company. The uses of proper colour schemes, which are repetitive along with strong marketing strategies, are essential to tap into consumer behaviour and achieve desired outcomes.

Therefore, colour demands careful

consideration. It is a decision that needs to produce immediate visual recognition so the consumer will remember your unique product or service logo. Consider a red can of soda, yellow arches, or a black apple which all bring brands to mind to provide identification and association. Through the use of effective colour choices, organizations can manipulate the target audience without them even knowing it.

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

25

Through visual perception of colours, humans can trigger a diverse set of responses, which has been the key driver in evolution and is an important factor in building the value of your brand. These triggers allow us to reflect on places, events, past experiences, and people. Colours and colour combinations have the ability to create moods and feelings, which transcend viewers to another place and time as well as creating a psychological effect to convey the right message. The correct colour choice needs to create something that the will allow the organization to be memorable and cement the message in all the customer’s minds.

For example, the use of blue as a main color will tap into hormones to lower blood pressure and slows respiration. Red, on the other end of the spectrum, has the adverse effect to create energy, because it is much bolder and aggressive in nature, which therefore generates excitement. Culture and demographics also play a part in this decision. For example, in North America, white signifies cleanliness and purity. In Asia, white is a color of mourning.

It is important companies recognize and strive for their target audience to recall, connect, and portray a positive image of their event or brand based on their colour choices considering a high percentage

PERCEPTIONS

of snap decisions are made by consumers on colour alone. It must also differentiate your brand among the other competing organizations and service providers. Colours can be incorporated in packaging, brochures, and handouts. It can also be effective on buttons, to easily identify likeminded attendees to find each other and network at conferences, floral arrangements, lights, linens, and even the food selections. The possibilities in terms of integration are endless and can be carried through the entire event. Starting with the invitations, the event coordinator can continue the colours and theme from the event entrance and into the venue using decor and even allowing it to trickle onto the digital technology, screens, platforms, and presentation content.

So, the simple answer is yes. Colour has a visual and psychological effect, which reinforces your brand image and should never be underestimated.

Sylvia M. Vespa

SHINDIGS AND SOIREES, AN EVENT COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT COMPANY 403-909-9095

MARKETING

Optimistic Youthful Happy

Energy Classy Death

Trust Security Tranquility

Courage Call to Action Success

Soothing Royalty Moodiness

Wealthy Relaxed Envy

Romantic Feminine Immature

Powerful, Sleek, evil Luxurious

Spiritual Relaxed Envy

80%

Increase in Brand Recognition Because of Color

85%

Primary Reason People Buy a Product is Color

93%

Shoppers that Base Their Purchase on Visual Appearance

FAVORITES -18 19-24 25-35 36-50 51-69 70+ % Based on age group

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

Source: colormatters.com

A

lot of people keep asking me questions lately like, “So what’s the market like?” or, “Should I be worried about the price of oil?” or, “If Train A leaves Albequerque at 6:10 a.m. and Train B leaves Davenport at 7:30 p.m., how much will my house be worth in 2015?” Okay, maybe the last questions is a bit exaggerated. But, let me paint a picture for you.

During one recent weekend, I wrote an offer with clients on a two million dollar home in West Hillhurst (a very desired area close to downtown Calgary). “So what? Big deal,” you say. “Get to the point!” Well, the home hadn’t even hit the public market yet, it sold in one day, and it sold in competing offers over list price. I also showed a three million dollar listing in prestigious Mount Royal to a young couple with no kids who were apparently looking for lots of storage space. Finally, I met with a client who says he’d be willing to list

willing and able buyers is still quite low. While we flirt with a balanced market here, this past weekend’s events remind me there’s still a simple math equation. It begins and ends with paying more than ever for one heckuva hot commodity in Calgary lately. And, that includes paying more than ever before for a section of dirt.

And it’s certainly not just at the one million plus price points either. But for every person who thinks the market bubble here will burst or we’ll see any sort of rapid decline in prices, there seem to be plenty of people out there willing to disagree, turn a blind eye, or bring a suitcase full of money. (Okay, okay, nobody actually brings a suitcase full of money like in a 1975 movie or something, but you get my drift).

This city was simply not destined to stay small.

With it’s rapid growth, high home and land prices, and rising property values, nobody would have

I don’t recall the last time multi-million dollar homes started selling in one day, for over list price, and in competing offers his SW home for $1.6 million and move somewhere closer to the downtown core even though he feels the market in Calgary will not sustain its current growth and activity.

Ummm, I don’t recall the last time multi-million dollar homes started selling in one day, for over list price, and in competing offers (cue a bit of Twilight Zone music playing here). I’m also still a bit surprised at the number of scenarios here involving record setting sales, listings, and activity.

Now let me be clear, this is not an article about how great I am and all the fancy homes I’ve had the pleasure of showing. But, I’ll tell you who doesn’t seem to be worried about the market: buyers.

Those with the means, the dollars, and the cents (ideally, this should be read as dollars and sense) don’t seem to be phased by softer oil prices or the threat of any sort of housing bubble. And, many sellers seem to be fine with fishing the market to see what they can get.

In Calgary, the overall supply of homes versus

guessed these levels back when the Y2K naysayers were predicting the world would end in 2000 and the Fresh Prince (aka Will Smith) was still strutting around his digs at the Bel Air mansion.

On a global scale, compared to many of the other major cities, Calgary home prices are still considered affordable. Period. Even on the luxury end of things. So why am I so surprised about the weekend’s “say whaaaat” events? The answer is because in my 31 years living in this city, I thought I’d seen just about everything. I’ll lower my eye­ brows now and take the surprised look off my face as apparently this type of weekend is now becoming more common­ place than ever.

Jeffrey Tincher B.A. COMMUNICATIONS, DIP BROADCAST JOURNALISM REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATE SOTHEBY’S INT. REALTY

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PROFESSIONAL DEV.

CAN YOU

RELATE?

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oday, we face so many variances in the way we relate to one another. Building relationships with those you may spend the majority of your day interacting with or generating new business with is essential, but the question is are we doing it well?

Some of the most successful people in the world have mastered the art of building professional relationships albeit with clients, vendors, co-workers, and their peers. It is amazing to think relationship building just comes naturally to some, especially to those who struggle with understanding how or why building solid relationships can make all the difference.

Let us first start by saying you must be authentic and want to develop vital connections for the right reasons. Your success as an individual, both personally and professionally, depends on your ability to build relationships based on integrity, trust,

aptitude of listening? This communication skill allowed them to hear what you said and interpret it accordingly, so your message was clear to them! This individual may have been a role model, mentor, coach, teacher, or someone who took the time out to actively communicate with you, and because of this, they were able to motivate you or pull you through the trials and tribulations of your business or personal life. Naturally, we would regard this individual as someone we felt we could trust and respect, and therefore, they were someone we had built a relationship with. Listening is an essential element on the journey to building lasting relationships. After you have heard and clearly understand your client, friend, co-worker, or your boss’s agenda is what is important and that it fits within your beliefs and ethics, then you can focus on adding the value you have to offer

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place George Bernard Shaw | Playwright, critic, political activist reliability, and respect. The difference you bring to the table is you! Your experiences, learnings, and what has been shared with you are going to be different than anyone else. What needs to be clearly understood is you may very well hold the key to helping your client’s growth plan, improve their bottom line, advance their technologies, or any number of ways your knowledge can be an asset.

Who knew? One of the essential building blocks in business relationships is your ability to communicate how your skills and experiences will turn the key to enhancing your client’s business objectives. This will provide them with the confidence they need to cultivate a strong affiliation with you. So, what do you think? Is it worth it for you to enhance your ability to communicate clearly to build solid relationships?

Understanding the concepts around building these connections is not really as complicated as you think. Let me ask you, have you ever had the pleasure of encountering a person in your life somewhere along the way who really owned the

to assist them. Building trust and turning the key towards a successful relationship relies heavily on your ability to determine the issues at hand through active listening. Well-articulated questions and paraphrasing what you heard will help you determine their needs and create a vital occasion to ensure you are clear on their objectives. When people feel they have been heard and you further demonstrate you understand by helping them meet their goals, you create a great foundation of value, trust, and an opportunity to develop a respectful relationship that will continue to thrive so long as you continue to adopt active listening skills.

You may not realize it or have taken it for granted, but we all build new relationships every day, maybe even inadvertently. You may have had a friendly conversation with your pharmacist, your local grocery clerk, or perhaps you connect with people in a professional association. All the while, you are establishing a rapport, a communication process of conversations, where listening, learning, and OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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sharing occurs, which equates to the art of building winning relationships. When put that way, could it be true? Are you better at establishing relationships than you thought?

In all my years of building concrete relationships, there is always more to learn, and I for one will forever be an unpretentious student. Each of us is different in what motivates us, triggers our emotions, and pulls at our heart strings. Who we choose to surround ourselves with happens because of the value they bring to our life. There is always another level of growth, and what I live by is that great relationships are built on remarkable authentic conversations where learning about the other person is fundamental. The ability to communicate effectively can only happen if we are able to listen intuitively first. To decipher what is really going on will be an asset when determining how you can help make a difference to a business client or within your private life. Have you ever considered texting or emailing a client or another important connection instead of choosing more of a personal approach?

The many questions and mishaps I have heard about communicating authentically with texting and/or email start by saying it’s a great invention, fast, and convenient, or so you may think. For those who like to hide behind a device, it has been

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others Tony Robbins Life Coach and Self-help Author

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my experience that very much like letter writing, unless you are an expert writer and have learned the artful skill of matching words to the intended emotion you want to produce, it leaves people wondering or perceiving your words incorrectly.

Now this is not as hard to imagine as you may think. It happens every day. Perception! Defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as, “The way you notice or understand something using one of your senses or in light of your experience.” How many instances have you thought you understood what a person wanted or needed from you and then realized you were mistaken and you had misunderstood them? Think about the numerous times a day you ask yourself after receiving a text or email, “What did they mean by that?” It makes one wonder if we are really saving any time at all?

In an effort to be more “efficient”, we may have only created more work and questions for those we communicate with, because we have absolutely not heard the connotation of the message or visually captured the body language triggers throughout the conversation. As one of my mentor’s, Tony Robbins, says, “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

We can spend so much time over-analyzing what

was said, how the impersonal interaction went, what I think they said, and actually now that I am playing it over again in my mind‌, what did they really mean by that comment? We would all do well to recognize this form of communication can create risky misunderstandings. Despite our fast paced technological world, is it worth the risk to not take the opportunity to focus on what is being said so we clearly understand the content and meaning behind our crucial conversations? Yes, this will mean taking the time to truly connect, and if this connection is important to you, pick up that phone, no, not to text, but to arrange a face to face meeting! Building that relationship depends on your willingness to do so, and the person you are trying to connect with, in addition, will appreciate the added value of your time. Demonstrate you are invested in building a genuine relationship, and that relationship will, in turn, allow you to embrace the impact and effective difference you will make to those you build relationships with. Just think how much easier it will be. Eliminating the risk of your

timely communications being misunderstood can only lead to building stronger lasting relationships.

In closing, I like to remember one of the greatest moments in life a person can have is realizing the encouragement we offered assisted an individual to move forward and achieve whatever success they were in search of. The trust and respect you would have had to earn and receive in order to gain the confidence of those you assisted occurred because you successfully established a long term relationship built on trust. Always remember where you came from, and if you are successful, treat others fairly and with the same respect you would expect. Most importantly, listen, have integrity, and always be authentic. It shows when you’re not.

By Connie Cook, BHRLR, APR ADULT EDUCATOR COMMUNICATING WISELY CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH CLEAR COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS THROUGH CHARISMATIC LEARNING CONSTANCIACOOK@GMAIL.COM PART OF THE BUILDING RELATIONSHIP SERIES

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Photography By Kyle K. Fujita

FEATURE

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T HE FAMILY OF

DITCH HITCH SAV I NG L I V ES W I T H T HEIR R EVOLU T IONARY PRODUCT

A

A stuck pickup truck in the mud or snow won’t stay stuck for long with the Ditch Hitch vehicle recovery system designed for a shock load. That’s a promise from Vern Sparkes, the product inventor and president of Ditch Hitch in Calgary. His company’s product is in high demand from the oil and gas, mining, forestry, agriculture and utilities industries as a safe and easy to use vehicle recovery system for remote or off road towing in all seasons.

RECENTLY NOMINATED FOR THE 2014

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FEATURE

NEW PRODUCTS SNAP TRAP® The Snap Trap is a kinetic energy diffuser that will capture a failed recovery strap to ensure the safety of personnel and eliminate vehicular damages.

NEW COMMING SOON!

LOCK RING Unique to Ditch Hitch, the Lock Ring ensures the receiver pin can never be dislodged by tall grass or improper installation.

NEW COMMING SOON!

SON OF A HITCH® The Son of a Hitch is the smaller version of the Ditch Hitch that fits into the 1¼ inch receivers in quads, argos and small SUV’S. The Son of a Hitch was tested at the University of Calgary.

The breaking strength of the Son of a Hitch is 35,000 lbs.. These units will be available by mid 2015.

NEW

COMMING SOON!

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“Very brisk” is how Sparkes describes sales of Ditch Hitch in Western Canada and northern U.S. states. “Probably within the next year to two years, we will be the industry standard for vehicle recovery in the oil industry,” said Sparkes in an interview from Calgary.

Several workers have been killed and seriously injured by unsafe towing devices and practices.

“Unofficially, we are the industry standard in my opinion because everybody’s using them,” said Sparkes.

“Anybody that uses the Ditch Hitch system has eliminated towing-related incidents 100%.”

“We’ve got 22,000 systems out in the industry right now without fail and without incident in 10 years, so it’s proven itself.”

Ditch Hitch is a truck to truck system that

Anybody that uses the Ditch Hitch system has eliminated towing-related incidents 100% retails from $585 and comes with two hitches that attach to a standard frame mounted receiver on the recovery vehicle and the stuck vehicle. Fleet pricing is also available.

“That’s the only way we sell them now because if a guy has only one, he’ll tie onto something that isn’t safe,” said Sparkes.

“So our system has to be from Ditch Hitch to Ditch Hitch only.” The pulling is done by a two inch by 25 foot long nylon Fuse Link strap that connects to a pivoting U-bar on the Ditch Hitch unit.

The Ditch Hitch used along with the Fuse Link strap eliminates the danger of flying metal objects such as chains, slings with tail chains, shackles or tow ropes with hooks commonly used during vehicle recovery.

Ditch Hitch also eliminates the need to attach to points such as trailer balls or bumpers that are not made to withstand shock load forces in vehicle recovery situations. Sparkes also says

to remove the front tow hooks that come with the trucks and install a front receiver. The front tow hooks will fail between 4,000 and 12,000 lbs.

The Fuse Link strap is engineered with a breaking strength of 19,000 lbs while the aluminium Ditch Hitch has a breaking strength of 78,000 lbs for a four-to-one safety ratio.

“We make sure that if anything from the system fails, the strap fails and nobody dies,” said Sparkes who just launched a new fail-safe Fuse Link protector called the Snap Trap.

“These Fuse Link straps, when they let go, they’ve got enough kinetic energy that could knock a grill out of a truck or dent a tail gate,” said Sparkes. The Fuse Link strap feeds through the Snap Trap which also hooks on to the U-bar pivot on both trucks.

“When that Fuse Link strap lets go – it’s doing its job if it fails. We want it to fail before anything else in the system fails. When it fails, the snap trap captures the strap,” explained Sparkes. Husky Energy, Encana, Shell Canada, Atco Electric and Vermilion Energy are among the major companies that have purchased the Ditch Hitch system for company wide use in Western Canada.

“It’s now written right into their policies and procedures,” said Sparkes. “These companies like many others understand that ‘No Tow’ policies and ‘No Shock Load’ policies do not work because they continued to have vehicle recovery incidents in the field until they implemented the Ditch Hitch system.”

“Some of these companies are now mandating all of their contractors and service providers use them as well. These companies must use a Ditch Hitch system or call a tow truck. That’s the only thing they can do.” Sparkes got the idea for the Ditch Hitch after working for 15 years as a

safety consultant for oil and gas companies all over the world.

Ditch Hitch was nominated for this year’s prestigious Manning Award that recognizes and supports Canadian inventors who have marketed their innovations. “If you win the Manning it’s mostly recognition,” said Sparkes who said he would “pay some bills” if prize money comes his way.

The company payroll includes Sparkes’ wife as vice-president and his daughter as production and quality control manager with part-time employees hired to fill large batch orders.

Sparkes brought a Ditch Hitch to a Lloydminster community safety event held at Target Safety Services in May of this year. As well, Ditch Hitch will be attending the upcoming PSAC show in Red Deer and the annual Petroleum Safety Conference in Banff.

“It’s pretty cool. I’ll be standing there

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FEATURE talking to a potential customer and somebody will come by that uses our product and they just look at the people and say ‘don’t even think about it – just buy it. It’s the best thing on the planet,’” said Sparkes. “That happens all the time.”

Ditch Hitch is mostly targeted at busi­nesses, but consumers who have used the system at work are also buying them for recreational purposes.

“Guys that are hunters, campers and fishermen they get stuck out there all the time,” said Sparkes.

“They use these things at work and they say ‘why

...the necessary evil. Most times in vehicle recovery you need to back up and take a run at it don’t we have them for our own personal vehicle’ so they buy them.”

Ditch Hitch is patented in Canada, the U.S. and Australia and comes in a carry bag with the complete system weighing just 20 lbs.

The package includes a reflective Visi-Sleeve to illuminate the recovery strap along with a pre-job check list. “When people rig up our system they put the Ditch Hitch in each of the vehicles. They put the Fuse Link strap in there then they go down the prejob checklist,” said Sparkes.

“They make sure both trucks have frame mounted receivers, that the lock rings are in place and they’ve got all their ducks in a row prior to commencing vehicle recovery operations. We’ll both sign off on it. It becomes a legal document after that time. It’s a consent form as well”.

“After they’re done with the tow, the white copy goes to the safety department and the yellow copy stays in the book.”

The user instructions advise the rescue vehicle to make two attempts at pulling the stuck truck with no slack in the system.

“If someone’s not stuck too bad and you have a four wheel drive, you can just pull them without shock loading,” said Sparkes. If that doesn’t work, he recommends taking two, four foot runs and if that doesn’t work, take two, six foot runs for more shock loading.

“If you take two, six foot runs and the truck moves even inches, then just carry on with six foot runs until the vehicle is unstuck,” said Sparkes. “This is what we call the necessary evil. Most times in vehicle recovery you need to back up and take a run at it. You need some momentum to shock load the other vehicle.”

For more information on how you can get the Ditch Hitch, or other products visit ditchhitch.com, call toll free 1-866-477-2756, and see some of their videos on youtube.

By Geoff Lee PIPELINE NEWS

FINAL FACTS • The Ditch Hitch is the only vehicle recovery system that is certified by a professional engineer to be shock loaded.

• The Ditch Hitch unit can be shock loaded to 17,000 pounds for 1,000,000 (one million) cycles before it needs to be inspected. This will not happen in your lifetime or the lifetime of your grandchildren.

• Several oil companies are now mandating that contractors and service providers use the Ditch Hitch or call a tow truck if they get stuck while working on their properties.

• There are presently 22,000 Ditch Hitch Systems out in the industry, anyone utilizing the Ditch Hitch system has eliminated vehicle recovery incidents 100%.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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C

algary Women in Energy (CWIE) is an independent, non-profit, membership society dedicated to promoting, suppor­ ting, and empowering women in the energy sector of Calgary, Alberta.

Beyond a networking group, CWIE is a dynamic community of professional women with integrity and shared aspirations to make a positive impact on both the industry and community as a whole.

“When it comes to making an impact in our community, there is no shortage of volunteer hours or hands willing to help. We must, however, question which charities will make the largest impact in our community in order to direct our time, energy, and funds,” says Meghan Williams, who is the Director of Community Involvement for the group.

As it was recently time to vote on the charities Calgary Women in Energy value and elect to support for upcoming 2015 and 2016, the organization had to consider a number of factors.

Which organizations align with CWIE values?

Where is the greatest need? Where will volunteer hours make the greatest impact? Where will funds raised have the greatest influence?

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CWIE as individuals and as a society evaluate these questions with every volunteer hour donated and every dollar raised.

This year, Calgary Women in Energy elected to support The Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society for a second term in a row.

Calgary Women in Energy are pleased to announce the proceeds of the 2015 and 2016 CWIE Golf Tournaments will be donated to the Discovery House in an effort to support the Community Housing Program and security for their residential facility. With no lack of helping hands and a dedicated committee, CWIE annually hosts a golf tournament in which all proceeds are donated to the charity of choice.

The Discovery House provides integrated residential and community services to women and children who have been affected by family violence.

“Leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous time for a woman and her children. Given the high risk, it’s essential they have access to a safe, healthy, and secure environment where they can begin to rebuild a life free of family violence.

That’s where the Discovery House residence comes

in,” according to the Discovery House website www.discoveryhouse.ca.

With the assistance of a case manager, each client receives support on a range of issues including low income, child welfare involvement, and mental health concerns.

Lastly, their Community Housing Program places families affected by violent behavior in long-term, stable market rental housing. The program, which supports approximately 100 families annually, then provides support for each client in order to accomplish their goals.

Children spend time with counsellors throughout their stay in the Residence Program, which assists families while they transition into the Community Housing Program.

As the leaves begin to fall and the snowflakes begin to swirl, we are once again reminded of the many individuals who struggle during such a magical time.

This year the CWIE has also chosen to work with The Magic of Christmas, a not-for-profit charity focused on delivering Christmas Spirit to over 400 families and thousands of patients in care facilities.

“Despair can come in many forms, be it emotional, financial, or physical,” reads The Magic of Christmas’ website themagicofchristmas.org.

Working alongside the City of Calgary social services and the Calgary Police services, this charity strives to show every recipient a loving, caring, and sharing mentality.

“Every Christmas Eve, we load Calgary Transit buses and magically transform them into reindeer sleighs with Santa and his elves, and we visit homes and hospital rooms of people who are in despair.”

Calgary Women in Energy thanks all of their supporters over the years. For more information on the Calgary Women in Energy, please visit cwie.org.

Meghan Williams DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT CALGARY WOMEN IN ENERGY

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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LIQUOR LANE

LAURENT PERRIER CUVEE BRUT ROSÉ | $100.9 9

SEASONAL

FLAVORS THE BEST OF FALL

When it comes to offering any type of “best of list” scenario’s it’s hard to choose when everyone has a personal opinion, but for this article we reached out to some of our very best here at Willow Park Wines & Spirits, the Trusted Expert Team, and asked them each to come up with one product that not only they were excited about but also one that they felt people should know about going into the fall season.

By Devin McKay WINE ROOM EXPERT AT WILLOW PARK WINES & SPIRITS

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L

Located in the heart of Champagne, this picturesque winery is home to some of the most cheerful bubbles ever created. With a history that begins in 1812, there is unfortunately no enchanted back story to go along with such a beautiful sparkling wine. Only one of hard work, dedication and attention to detail, and the uncompromising understanding of quality.

With grapes coming from only the best growers in Champagne, this careful fruit selection has enabled the house to create a very distinct “Laurent Perrier Style” which is beautiful, elegant, and graceful. This rosé showcases all of these components in a style that was described to me as “the most masculine rosé champagne ever.” After enjoying a glass I began to understand how this wine could be both elegant and strong all at one time making this one memorable and very special cuvee. The nose is pure freshness, with an airy display of bush fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, all combining to astound the senses and entice you on to your next sip. The palate is dominated by the soft fruit flavours, but it is the mouth feel that sets this wine apart from others. It has an elegant roundness that gives way to bursting fruit flavours, all the while being structured with amazing acidity and bubbles that are literally dancing on the tip of your tongue.

DE RANKE PERE NOEL | $11.49

I

I honestly didn’t want to write about this beer.

Not because it’s a bad beer, but because I was worried that I would not be able to properly do it justice. Writing about it is like trying to retell a great story at the pub that when you heard it struck such a cord that it has been with you since the day you heard it. Or like trying to describe a priceless painting, where the colours and textures transport you to the very place the artist was painting. It’s so hard to put it all into words and this beer is so delicious it’s hard to describe well. So, in honesty I’m not going to really try but instead I’m going to tell you that it’s a beer that is best to enjoy in the moment.

To pour it and then allow yourself the time to sit, sip and savour all that it has to offer you. The Pere Noel brew from the Belgium Brewery of De Ranke, is a beer filled with citrus fruits and hints of kumquats and dried apricots, and bitter hops on the finish. If you’re looking for a Christmas beer that is filled with cloves and spice this is not the beer for you, but if you want to enjoy a delicious fresh and complex ale that is malty and smooth then you should enjoy it with friends and family, after dinner, around a fire, and with snow on the ground. Enjoy!

ANCNOC 22 YR OLD | $173.9 9

P

Pronounced [a-nock], this highland scotch is one of the hidden gems that the ever expanding scotch world has to offer. Founded in 1893 and named the Knockdhu distillery, its spot was chosen for its location close to vast barly fields, extensive peat marshes, and clean spring water.

Surviving two wars and the great depression, the only thing that has changed about this distillery is its name. Called AnCnoc, which is Gaelic for “the hill”, this whisky offers what most would think of as winter time flavours. The nose leads into a dram filled with caramel, toffee, and citrus notes, all being underlined with rich Christmas cake aromas and a hint of smoky wood combination throughout. On the palate it is just as much about the mouth feel as it is the flavours; clove, cinnamon, vanilla, and leather are all intermixed and embraced by a full-bodied, structured and long lasting finish that every scotch aficionado would enjoy. Due to the fact of the small production and the distilleries view of quality over quantity, the rarity of the product, Willow Park Wines & Spirits took advantage of this by buying up the last 82 bottles available in North America, and is now pleased to be able to offer this wonder of a scotch to our customers.

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HEALTH

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Hello, my name is Dianna, and I am 54 years old. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. The last time I can remember being at a normal weight was when I was about 10 years old. As I got older, I gradually kept gaining weight. At 5’5”, I was 190 pounds when I got married. Over the next 10 years, I had three children and kept gaining more and more weight. Before I knew it, at the age of 40, I was 250 pounds. That was the turning point for me.

In November of 1999, I was seriously considering going back to Weight Watchers. I had joined many times before and had been quite successful in losing 30-40 pounds. But then, I’d always quit thinking I could do it on my own or I’d get discouraged. I continued to procrastinate about going back to Weight Watchers. Along came the new millennium and I saw it as a fresh start. I was also turning 40 in March of 2000. I was still thinking about doing something, when I had my last straw moment. My husband and I took a trip to Mexico.

We got on the plane, and I was in the middle seat. I couldn’t believe how tight it was. I was encroaching into the next man’s seat space. When the meal came, my stomach was so large I couldn’t put my tray table down flat in front of me. What was a four hour flight felt more like an eight hour flight.

I re-joined Weight Watchers the week after we got back from Mexico. I was determined to get my weight off. I weighed and stayed for every meeting for two years and lost 100 pounds. I received my Lifetime Membership in March of 2002. I became a Weight Watcher’s leader two months later, and I retired last December.

I know I was successful in losing 100 pounds because there was

SOUTHERN OVEN FRIED CHICKEN Ingredients • ½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup skim milk & 1 tsp vinegar) • 2-3 drops hot sauce • ½ cup cornflake crumbs • 3 tbsp flour • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp pepper • 8-5 oz skinless chicken thighs • 4 tsp canola oil Directions Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. In a shallow bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. On a plate combine cornflake crumbs, flour, salt, pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the crumb mixture, coating both sides completely. Place chicken on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Bake 45-50 min, turning over half way through baking.

4 SERVINGS, 2 THIGHS PER PERSON, 8 POINTSPLUS PER SERVING

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nothing I couldn’t have. It was all about balance and moderation in everything. Weight Watchers also promotes healthy eating and including all food groups. I also needed the weekly accountability of weighing in, having someone else write it in my book, and spur me on no matter what kind of a week I had.

I maintained my weight for nine years, and then life happened. We’ve been vacationing more than ever, and I have gained back 40 pounds over the last three years. My patella slid off my kneecap, and I broke my ankle. I am back in meetings as a member and working my way back to my goal weight. I would really like to share everything I’ve

learned and continue to learn in regard to healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle. I’m hoping we’ll all learn something along the way.

Here are a couple of my favourite recipes. What I love about Weight Watchers is this is real food in the real world. You just have to make a few adjustments to make them healthier.

These are packed with flavour. I have included the Pointplus values if you need them. Until next time, Dianna Kerek WORDSTODIFOR.BLOGSPOT.COM

TWICE-BAKED GARLIC POTATOES Ingredients • 4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed • 1 garlic bulb • ½ cup chicken broth • ½ cup fat free sour cream • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese • Paprika

Directions Preheat oven to 425. Pierce potatoes with a fork. Wrap the garlic in foil and place alongside potatoes in oven. Bake until potatoes and garlic are tender, about 50-60 minutes. Let the potatoes and garlic cool until comfortable to handle, about 15 minutes.

Halve the potatoes lengthwise; scoop the pulp into a large bowl, leaving the skins intact.

Cut the garlic bulb in half; squeeze out the pulp and add to the potato. Add the broth, sour cream and pepper; stir and mash with a fork to the desired texture.

Spoon the stuffing back into the potato skins; sprinkle with the cheese and paprika. Bake until heated through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

8 SERVINGS, 4 POINTSPLUS PER SERVING

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LOCAL EATS

Barcelona

TAVERN THE SPOT: Revamped and reopened in the spot that housed Belgo Brasserie for nine years is Barcelona Tavern. A prime spot on the corner of 8th Ave and 4th Street SW is made to be a classic restaurant and meeting space. While it was sad to see the Belgian themed Belgo shut its doors, the exciting Barcelona brings a touch of Spain to the spot. With a large bull overlooking the entire room, Barcelona has opened up the space and vastly increased the light through the two story windows and with very clever and modern lighting.

White tables, large round booths and tons of room make Barcelona airy and comfortable like that of a European town square. The open bar is welcoming with TV’s that can entertain, but are not overwhelming and not to be mistaken for a runof-the-mill sports pub. A touch of elegance and excitement makes Barcelona Tavern a great spot for lunch, dinner or drinks – making it easier to swallow the loss of an old friend.

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THE MENU: Barcelona provides one of the best types of meals out there, tapas. The Spanish small plates are great for sharing and trying a variety of items. An expansive list of tapas includes some traditional anchovy dishes, patatas bravas and chorizo & mussels while adding in some more common fare with a twist such as Spanish Slammers (sliders) and Mediterranean chicken wings. Panko crusted Manchego, veal meatballs, and lobster ravioli highlight a diverse and delicious journey one can take by sharing a variety of these plates. And, for me personally, I have been waiting for a good shrimp & grits dish in Calgary for a long time and the Paprika Prawns are awesome (thank you!). For those wanting, er, less small plates, there are steaks, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. All made with more refinement than usually found, and many with a sprinkling of Mediterranean flare. And, of course, there is paella – the delicious rice, seafood and sausage

dish will be worth the wait. Everything is vibrant and can satiate any taste and any style you want to enjoy. A vast draft beer list, wine selection, cocktail list, and of course sangria, make the thirsty people happy.

WHAT’S SPECIAL: Put your grandmother’s Gordon’s away! Barcelona takes the ubiquitous gin and tonic and gives it its own spot on the menu.

The GnT is no longer common slosh in here, all gin and tonics have been carefully crafted and come highlighted with flavors of Saskatoon berry, strawberry and basil, kiwi and cucumber, and more while ensuring the correct gin is picked. Also, if you haven’t had some plaid shirt, floppy toque wearing hipster extoll the virtues of Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water to you yet, you can try it for yourself with any of these gin concoctions – the premium mixer is crafted quite uniquely and can amp up a cocktail more than Schweppes.

THE VIBE: While it is new, the location itself does have some history. With the large and effective service crew and some amazingly attentive and friendly managers overseeing the operations, Barcelona will quickly see and maintain the crowds of old here. A mix of professionals wanting to unwind after work or at lunch will inhabit most quarters. The spacious room still maintains the capacity to host great events or parties for the many organizations downtown and will pair excellently with their inventive menu approach and top end bar. Have an Estrella (the beer of Barcelona) under the bull and have a great time.

Barcelona Tavern 501 8 AVE. S.W. CALGARY 403-265-6555

By Chris Grabill OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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BUSINESS

AUCTION ACTION O

ften times in the surplus equipment world you hear the term ‘necessary evil’ when describing the Brokerage & Auction companies. More often though there are probably less flattering narratives when describing these groups.

Being a company that prides itself in professionalism in both these entities, I couldn’t agree more. If your focus as a company is producing, drilling, manufacturing etc., it only makes sense to go outside your company personnel to find a person, or company, to help you keep your excess equipment in check. It will cost to do this, but not near what it will cost to have someone who is an expert in a field or area you hired them for, and instead, ask them to scour the streets to flog equipment.

I established Energy Auctions Inc. in 2008 to fill a need in the marketplace by offering a unique form of liquidating surplus/idle equipment. My years since inception have been spent building relationships in the industry. It’s amazing, after 6+ years I’m still trying to meet everyone. I have learned to stay true to the goals and objectives I founded and built Energy Auctions on. I’ve learned the hard way not to stray into other parts of the industry where I do

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not belong. Yes, I have hit the ditch a couple times over the years thinking I had a target audience for certain items; knowing full well I didn’t, only to come up short and looking silly. Lesson learned! Stick to what I know and what has been the constant for success over the years.

Quick story…I have been in the auction (Livestock) business my entire life! When 2008 dipped, I was with a company that was looking to liquidate a large amount of surplus equipment. They asked me, because of my auction background, to find them an auction company. I suspected that perhaps my employment with this company, along with others in my department, would be terminated soon so I suggested to my immediate boss to let me handle the auction for them. He questioned my ability! I told him to give me 24 hours. I came the next day with a website that a friend had changed the picture of a Bull to a Pumpjack, and an auction platform used in the livestock industry to one that we adapted to the oil and gas world. Voila, Energy Auctions Inc. was born!

I told this story to show our humble beginnings and how we have grown leaps and bounds from

ONLINE AUCTION RJV GAS FIELD SERVICES INVENTORY REDUCTION AUCTION CALL MARLON AT 403.815.2016

Don’t miss out on a great opportunity for savings. On behalf of RJV Gas Field Services EA is hosting an online auction to help reduce RJV’s surplus inventory. The auction starts at 9am sharp on Dec 2, and runs until Dec 15 at 4pm. There are REGIS TRATI over 150 pieces of equipment ON IS FR EE! available that include the items to the right and many more.

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We currently have a following of Oil & Gas Professionals almost 10,000 strong to be honest and transparent. To stay true to what has gotten us thus far.

Thanks for letting me ramble and hopefully next time you are looking for a company to source equipment for you or to help you liquidate your surplus equipment you will give us a call.

Marlon Ellerby PRESIDENT/OWNER ENERGY AUCTIONS INC WWW.ENERGYAUCTIONS.CA 403 815 2016 MARLONELLERBY@ ENERGYAUCTIONS.CA

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From Tuesday Dec 2nd 9am Sharp to Dec 15th at 4pm Go to energyauctions.ca click on ‘AUCTIONS’ to sign up marlonellerby@energyauctions.ca

SUNTERRA

COMPANY

CHRISTMAS The holidays are upon us, and a company holiday party is just the way to kick off the festive season! Company parties are a great opportunity to recognize the hard work your staff and co-workers put in this year with a fun and relaxed environment. Planning a party for your whole company can be daunting, and pleasing everyone is hard work (and likely impossible), but the following tips will help you explore the options to best suit your group this season.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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SUNTERRA FOOD Food is the focal point of any party, so we suggest putting a healthy amount of consideration into how you’d like to serve your guests. If you want to serve a lot of guests a full meal, consider a buffet style dinner. Buffets can accommodate large numbers of people and are

the holidays are often associated with overindulging, it’s best not to encourage it in your co-workers!

Offering two drink tickets per guest or placing a bottle of wine on each table is a good solution. A signature beverage, named after your company of course, is another fun way to celebrate. Don’t forget to include a virgin cocktail option. Many venues will supply their own bar, but if you are planning to provide your own drink supplies, budget for two drinks per guest for cocktail hour and 1.5 drinks for each subsequent hour.

easy to replenish throughout the meal service. Don’t

SPEECHES

hesitate to set up more than one buffet table. This

While your company

will get your guests through the line more quickly.

If you are part of a smaller company, a seated

party is meant to

and plated meal is a nice change from the more

celebrate the holiday

common buffet dinner.

season, it’s important to take a few minutes

If you want to try something a bit different this year, explore out-of-the-box (or off-the-table)

to thank employees for

options! Smaller venues may only allow enough

their efforts throughout

room for your guests to stand. If this is the case,

the year. Keep speeches

circulated appetizers can be a refreshing change

short but sincere. Remember the party attendees

for your party. Hors d’oeuvres for dinner offers

are there for the celebration not a lecture!

your guests a wide range of tastes and encourages

Recognizing achievements and milestones help

guests to mingle. Eight to ten appetizer pieces

create a positive work environment year round.

per person will keep your guests full and happy;

Mention your company’s highlights for the year, but

although, if you choose to serve appetizers as the

leave out any setbacks. Keeping the atmosphere

meal, let your guests know ahead of time so they

fun and positive is key. After your thank-yous and

can have a snack before they come should they

congratulations, you can take care of any house-

choose. Looking for a more creative dinner option?

keeping items such as reminding everyone to

Set up various food stations around your venue

get home safely by offer taxi chits or announcing

with each offering a different flavour or theme.

holiday office hours.

Food stations allow for endless creativity and a

Company holiday parties can be a lot of fun and

live service station, such as hot carves, crepes,

a chance to let loose with the people you spend 40

chocolate fountains, or a grill, provides the added

(or more) hours a week with. Whether you’re with a

value of entertainment on top of delicious food.

company with 25 or 225 employees, the holidays are a time to celebrate the year’s achievements and

DRINKS Planning libations can

the festive season. Try not to get caught up in the minute details and remember

be tricky in a corporate

to enjoy the product of your

setting. Unless you are

planning!

part of a small, close-knit company, you probably don’t want to offer a host bar to your guests. While

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

By Kendra Keating SUNTERRA CATERING MANAGER

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EVENT

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N

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etworking events are a part of business that most professionals have to partake in at one point or another in their careers. They can be tedious, stressful and at their worst, result in few to no new connections. This is where Leadstone Group is breaking the mold; our HUB Connect Events are tailored to connect Service and Supply companies with Exploration and Production companies doing business in Oilfield HUB. Our latest event was held on Wednesday, November 19th and was sponsored by Pajak Engineering Ltd. It was an enjoyable, relaxed evening held to gather a great mix of oil and gas professionals for a successful night of networking and connecting.

As one of our HUB Advocate VIP clients, Pajak strongly believes in the idea of companies being partners in industry. This is demonstrated through Pajak’s wellsite talent and project management services. Leadstone Group is working together with Pajak, through our Oilfield HUB online business community and Oilfield PULSE magazine, to further promote Pajak’s pioneering role in the industry since 1966 and their involvement in nearly every play and basin across North America.

Barry Rookes, Director of Business Development at Pajak addressed the over 50 attendees in the crowd about Pajak’s team and partnering opportunities. Dave O’Connor, VP Sales at Leadstone Group also spoke on how Oilfield HUB is helping micro-juniors to intermediates become leaner, meaner and most cost effective though the use of Oilfield HUB’s suite of supply chain and operations services.

Thanks to the impeccable staff at Black Betty Burger & Wine Bar for their attentive service that always makes our events a success.

This event would not have been possible without the dedicated team at Pajak Engineering. We look forward to many more successful events with them to help build and strengthen relationships in the industry.

PHOTO GALLERY

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

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BUSINESS SENSE

CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN DECEMBER?

As we head into December, most of us realize that we don’t have a lot of time to accomplish anything of significance let alone a new technology implementation or process update. If you do plan to “go live” with your new technology like the Oilfield HUB’s reporting tool in December, you should be thinking about a few people issues that support your change management efforts. Why? Maximize the return on your investment and your people ultimately adopt the new system or process, regardless of what time of year you decide to implement.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

Be prepared to reiterate the message of why we are implementing this system or process to your leaders before and after the holidays. It is almost guaranteed your people and leaders will need to be reminded of why you are doing this after a week, plus in December indulging in eating, drinking and trying to get a mental break from work.

System training in December for your people who don’t plan to take much time off is actually a good time to do training. Some areas of your company operations might be a little slower towards the end of December. If you are one of those who like to catch up on things during the holiday season, any training you might schedule will allow those people to focus more on the material and content.

They will be more prepared to help those people who don’t come back until after New Years on the ins & outs of the system or process.

1

2

Decisions on when you should go live with your system or process should include your leadership. When you do ask for leader’s feedback on your transition plans and go-live dates it is extremely important to communicate the final decision and why other choices were not made. This way, your leaders at least feel like they were heard and should ultimately still support the decision within their teams You are not looking for consensus on the decision. Depending on the size of your company, consensus can be very difficult to get with multiple points of view and personalities. Consulting your leaders on their opinions should be done, but it will be up to the one leader who is accountable for the final decision after really listening to his or her people’s voice.

There are many other considerations you should address if you are going to go-live with a new

5

Be prepared to reiterate the message of why we are implementing this system or process to your leaders before and after the holidays Any system or process issues or training material can be fixed quicker, generally, during the break where a good portion of your staff is on holidays. Depending on the size of the change you think a new system or process will look on your company, who and how many people need to be around to support go-live? If it is a big change or complex go-live, there might need to be some tough decisions made on who needs to be around to support go-live in December. The beauty of technology these days is that it may not require someone to physically be in the office for support.

Be prepared to offer information sessions and training sessions during December and well into January for both leaders and their teams. Similar to point #1 above, there will be key people who take a week or two off during the holiday season. It’s important that you get training scheduled in early January with them before they leave on holidays.

3

4

process or system in December but from a people side of things, these are an important part of your change management plan. There never is a “good time” to go-live but taking all these people factors into your engagement, training & communication planning will still help you reach full adoption of the new system among your users.

Next month I will write about what a change management transition plan should look like from a systems or process perspective. Meaning, what do your people need to do/say to ensure “smooth” transition into the new world.

Thanks for reading and look forward to your questions.

By Trevor Deeks DIRECTOR T DEEKS CONSULTING INC. TDEEKSCONSULTING@GMAIL.COM

OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

59

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

T

here are many supplements used for enhancing/improving athletic performance.

Some products may offer the desired benefit, but others may also cause harm if abused or not used according to recommended doses.

Supplements containing caffeine and ephedra (Ma huang) are popular choices for enhancing athletic performance, but there are important safety issues to consider prior to use. Creatine and whey protein are other popular choices and have a relatively good safety profile. A proprietary grape supplement (PowergrapeÂŽ) is not as popular but is backed by strong scientific and clinical evidence. The safety of the grape supplements makes it an interesting choice for athletes and ordinary people trying to improve athletic or exercise performance.

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

Caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system (CNS), heart rate, and respiration.

It has mood-altering properties and has mild diuretic properties. It is used by some athletes, because it can increase energy, decrease perception of fatigue, and improve the sense of performance.

When used before exercise at low-to-moderate doses, it has been shown to enhance energy, endurance, and performance.

Caffeine’s use as a performance-enhancing supplement remains controversial and should be used with caution, because it may increase blood pressure and heart rate and cause increased production of urine. A systematic review of the clinical studies evaluating the effect on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) strength and muscular

VENDOR OF THE MONTH

Caffeine’s use as a performanceenhancing supplement remains controversial and should be used with caution

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SPOTLIGHT

endurance demonstrated caffeine slightly enhanced MVC strength (equivalent to a 4% increase) following the consumption of caffeine compared to placebo.

Creatine supplementation became popular in the 1990s to enhance athletic performance and build lean body mass. It causes an increase in total body mass and fat-free mass. It has modest benefits for intense, repetitive exercise lasting less than 30 seconds. It does not appear to have significant benefits on prolonged (endurance) aerobic exercise. It has been shown caffeine may counteract creatine’s benefits on acute, intermittent exercise performance. Combining creatine with caffeine and ephedra may result in side effects.

Many high quality studies have demonstrated an increase in muscle mass with creatine, but this is

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

61

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH not the case for strength. These latter studies are of lesser quality, and although some demonstrated a significant difference in strength, others showed a lack of improvement. The overall body of evidence suggests creatine does increase lean body mass, strength, and total work, and its benefit for sports performance is slight and limited to specific forms of exercise. Creatine can improve performance in exercises that involve repeated short bursts of highintensity activity with intervening rest periods of adequate length.

Ephedra (ma huang) supplements contain the alkaloids ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, which have been found to induce central nervous system stimulation, bronchodilation, and vasoconstriction.

In combination with caffeine, ephedrine has been

Bottom line, supplements to enhance athletic performance are not safe for everyone. shown to elicit weight loss. This ingredient has been used to enhance performance. This use should be questioned, because there are major safety concerns associated with its use, including hypertension, tachycardia, central nervous system (CNS) excitation, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Although some studies demonstrated increased cycling power, others showed a lack of an effect on muscle strength and anaerobic exercise capacity.

Whey protein is a popular supplement for uses such as immune modulation, improved muscle strength, and body composition. It has been studied extensively in clinical trials, and there is good evidence to suggest it may enhance muscle mass and strength and weight loss. The body of evidence suggests whey protein increases muscle mass and muscle strength.

A proprietary grape extract product, called Powergrape®, is a very good choice for athletes looking for a safe and effective approach to enhancing athletic performance. This extract is standardized to contain >90% total polyphenols,

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OilfieldPULSE | DECEMBER 2014

>50% total flavanols, and >12% flavanols monomers and gallic acid. An increase in total power in handball athletes was demonstrated when taken once daily for one month. Overall, it has an interesting mode of action that makes it optimal for athletes.

Excessive physical exercise overproduces reactive oxygen species resulting in free radical production.

This even occurs in professional athletes despite the fact they increase their antioxidant status by regular physical training. A well controlled clinical trial demonstrated the intake of the Powergrape® extract during the competition period was able to improve anti-oxidative status and oxidative stress and physical performance. The handball players increased their physical performance by 24% and explosive power by 6.4% compared to the placebo. It also improved recovery by 7.9% compared to placebo.

The enhancement in performance and recovery is thought to be caused by the protective action of the supplement during physical exercise. It was shown to improve performance and recovery by increasing oxygenation of the muscles (cellular oxygenation was increased by 3.6%) and protecting the muscles against lesion caused by physical exercise. This type of effect is not due to a central stimulant effect like that obtained from caffeine making it a safe product for athletes.

Bottom line, supplements to enhance athletic performance are not safe for everyone. Side effects, such as those associated with the central stimulant effect, increased heart rate, and loss of fluids, can result in serious side effects. Consult with a health care professional before using caffeine or ephedra as a performance enhancer. Creatine and whey protein are relatively safe supplements and good choices for increasing muscle mass and strength. Powergrape® has a good safety profile and is a novel formulation that will increase performance and recovery while protecting the muscle tissue from injury.

By Guy Chamberland, M.SC., PH.D., MASTER HERBALIST, HEALTH PRODUCT CONSULTANT CONTACT HIM AT GUYCHAMBERLANDMASTERHERBALIST@LIVE.CA.

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