scholarly journals Breaking the Cycle: Changing Alberta in the Present to Save the Future

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
A. Rachelle Foss

Alberta’s resource power lies within the energy sector; in particular, the oil and gas industry. However, this same energy sector is contributing heavily to the destruction of the landscape and is contaminating the environment. This destructive pattern may seem unrelated to the province’s economy, but a closer look shows that they are, in fact, closely connected. This is largely due to a failure by both the industry and political leaders to have a vision for the economic future. Although oil and gas royalties, paid to the province for the right to use crown land for capital gain, provide considerable financing to support Alberta’s infrastructure, redirecting a large portion of those royalties back into the energy sector has contributed to the provincial budget surplus plummeting into a budget deficit. Couple this with a consistent failure to impose environmental accountability on heavily polluting energy companies and limited support for sustainable energy practices and innovations. Continuing on this path is a short sighted plan that puts both the Alberta and Canadian economies at risk as they fail to diversify and move forward with the rest of the world as it makes changes toward reducing emissions and increasingly supports ecological practices. Instead, Alberta must shift their focus away from the tradition of investing in the oil industry and, as many other regions worldwide have done, invest in renewable resources, sustainable practices, and increase support for local energy innovations to ensure the province’s energy sector, environment, and economy move towards a strong future.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madina Intykbayeva

This paper focuses in the discussion of three main transformations the Oil and Gas Industry will need to continue developing post-pandemic scenarios. Sustainability, Digitalization, Cultural Innovation and Branding need to continue its parallel development for the industry to keep the leadership positions in the energy sector. The goal of this paper to show the interdependence between these three transformations and how EPCI companies need to continue adapting them to succeed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bennett

In this era of technological disruption, when many industries are fighting to stay relevant, the oil and gas industry seems to be stagnant. It is in this environment where public perception of the modern industry is becoming more critical and as younger consumers grow in both number and political influence, their viewpoints will become especially vital to the continued relevance of the industry. The oil and gas industry gives itself high marks for innovation, safety and environmental sustainability, and yet the public opinion in these areas is often portrayed very negatively. We have an image problem. The belief that oil and gas is good for society seems to decline with each younger generation. The public believes the industry is necessary for society, though they still see it as a problem causer, not a problem solver. But support for the industry falls with each generation and millennials are more likely to believe the industry is bad for society and a problem causer. The oil and gas industry needs to communicate and engage with consumers to identify ways to better understand their motivations and concerns. Clearly there is a gap in how the public and executives view the industry and the time to address these perceptions is now. To view the video, click the link on the right.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 559
Author(s):  
Brent Steedman

The Australian oil and gas industry is in a period of substantial challenges, including a significant decline in oil prices, fluctuating spot gas prices, a relentless drive for operating efficiency, and tight capital allocation, together with increased regulatory scrutiny and a reputation for below-standards productivity. On the upside, these market challenges provide significant opportunities for companies to bring in new investors, implement new operating models, apply innovation to update processes and practices, and restructure activities. Making material step-changes, requires companies to review, amend, and update joint venture operating agreements (JVOAs). KPMG has worked with many of Australia’s leading oil and gas companies on a range of joint venture engagements. This extended abstract outlines why JVOAs need to be reviewed with respect to the following key opportunities and challenges: Fast-changing global business operating models. Available cost savings by eliminating inconsistent management and operating models between joint ventures. Planning for potential restructuring, including separation of infrastructure (e.g. plants, pipelines, support) from reserve ownership. Sharing of services (e.g. maintenance and logistics) between unrelated joint ventures. Transparency of costs and asset performance. Improved joint venture governance (not more or over-governance) between participants to attract investment. Effective resourcing, noting the right transition of capabilities between deal-makers and joint venture operators. With this extended abstract the authors aim to provide ideas for consideration. Each of these ideas will impact JVOAs. The authors’ proposition is that now is the right time to complete a comprehensive review of JVOAs to enable organisations to move fast as new and innovative opportunities arise.


2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Camis Smith

Advancing Aboriginal participation in the workplace comes with its challenges, and those experienced in the oil and gas industry are unique. Barriers to participation need to be regularly evaluated and addressed for success. Although Chevron Australia's focus on Aboriginal employment is fairly recent, it receives strong internal support from senior and corporate leadership. It will be important in the future to further this commitment and build ownership throughout the organisation to achieve long-term results and meet business needs and skills gaps. Camis Smith, Chevron Australia's Aboriginal Employment Strategy Manager, will share Chevron's experiences, lessons and challenges in advancing Aboriginal participation in the workplace, and reinforce its reputation as an employer of choice. Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies and through its Australian subsidiaries, has been present in Australia for more than 60 years. With the ingenuity and commitment of more than 4,000 people, Chevron Australia leads the development of the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects, and has been operating Australia's largest onshore oilfield on Barrow Island for more than 45 years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
Michael Lynn ◽  
David Wirrpanda

As oil and gas operators and service providers look to embrace automation and analytics, many of the traditional partnerships with Aboriginal communities relating to employment and career pathways are likely to be challenged. The paper explores how digital trends are affecting, and are likely to affect, Indigenous communities in their partnerships with oil and gas organisations. Workplace roles and activities are evolving in our increasingly digitised world, causing a perceived threat to employment for minority groups such as Indigenous communities. In order to ensure the ongoing presence of opportunities for Indigenous workers in the ‘future of work’, oil and gas organisations will need to augment digital technologies to cater for and enhance existing and future roles. This paper presents a framework for Indigenous communities, governments, oil and gas operators and service providers to embrace digitisation and create sustainable relationships. An approach is considered to engage with Indigenous communities with objectives of executing on their Reconciliation Action Plans and addressing culture and employment challenges that arise through digitisation. The framework positions oil and gas operators and service providers to pivot themselves not only to sustain, but also to enhance Indigenous employment opportunities in a digital workplace. Digitisation is here, but with the right approach it can positively affect and shape partnerships between oil and gas organisations and Indigenous communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 223-264
Author(s):  
Carolina Barreira Lins

This work examines the subject of jurisdiction and arbitrability of issues related to energy and natural resources in the world, in order to enhance the arbitration institute in Brazil. The study is based on a recent case pending in Brazilian courts, named “Lula case”, which refer to a dispute between the State and concessionaires that grant the right to explore and produce oil and gas in a determined area. The presence of arbitration clauses in the concession contracts for exploration and production of oil and gas in Brazil raises questions related to the disposability of the rights concerned. It is paramount to set benchmarks on arbitral tribunals’ power to decide on these matters and to define to what extent arbitral awards may defy public policy, national sovereignty over natural resources and national courts’ jurisdiction to render decisions in this regard. Otherwise, the randomness of judicial decisions makes the arbitration clause ineffective. Moreover, the Lula case arises substantive issues related to the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry, since acts arguably connect to the State policy power may cause damages to the private parties. The work critically examines the decision given by national courts so far and proposes an international approach to face situations involving the State and the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Duc Nguyen ◽  
Le Tran Chinh

This study aims to: (1) Summarize the criteria for selecting 3PL Provider in supply chain management from literature review and apply these criteria to build the criteria model in choosing 3PL Provider for oilfield services company X for the purpose of expanding their market in the oil and gas industry and (2) Analyze, evaluate two 3PL Providers, along with a new 3PL Provider and suggest the strategy for selecting the suitable 3PL Provider to meet the specific requirements from company X. By arranging in-depth interviews with ten people with different positions, including Operation Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Logistics Manager, Base Manager and Logistics Specialist, along with AHP approach and expert choice 11.0 software support in collecting, processing and synthesizing data to evaluate and determine the appropriate 3 PL Provider for company X. In this study, three 3PL Providers have been chosen for analyzing and evaluating – 3PL Providers A, B, and C. The final results demonstrate that there are six main criteria and 13 sub-criteria in choosing 3PL Provider for oilfield services company X. The six main criteria are Performance, Price, Services, Quality assurance, IT system and Intangible values. The results and hypothetical situations have also been presented and discussed again with the expert logistics group to get their feedback about the practicability of the built model. The expert logistics group has agreed that the built criteria model and results are appropriate and adequate for evaluating and selecting a suitable 3PL Provider from the company’s specific demands. Consequently, this study can also be applied for similar purposes in other companies and shipping agents who need to work with outsourcing logistics services in oil and gas industry by using this built criteria model and synthesis results to find out the right decision for selecting 3PL Provider.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreekumar Menon

This qualitative exploratory case study explores strategies and mitigating actions for successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations. The research was conducted in a Canadian case organization in the oil and gas industry, using a semi-structured interview guide with a total of twenty interviews that includes members from four project role groups of senior leaders, project managers, project team members, and business users. For triangulation purposes, the study used interview responses and also ERP project documentation collected for the purpose. The research highlighted several strategies and mitigating actions that can be put in use by organizations. The key themes that emerged as effective strategies include having the right people for support and guidance from experts, change management, clear communications, hands-on training, lots of testing, and risk management. The study also provided evidence that adopting strategies can help overcome critical challenges during ERP implementations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 223-264
Author(s):  
Carolina Barreira Lins

This work examines the subject of jurisdiction and arbitrability of issues related to energy and natural resources in the world, in order to enhance the arbitration institute in Brazil. The study is based on a recent case pending in Brazilian courts, named “Lula case”, which refer to a dispute between the State and concessionaires that grant the right to explore and produce oil and gas in a determined area. The presence of arbitration clauses in the concession contracts for exploration and production of oil and gas in Brazil raises questions related to the disposability of the rights concerned. It is paramount to set benchmarks on arbitral tribunals’ power to decide on these matters and to define to what extent arbitral awards may defy public policy, national sovereignty over natural resources and national courts’ jurisdiction to render decisions in this regard. Otherwise, the randomness of judicial decisions makes the arbitration clause ineffective. Moreover, the Lula case arises substantive issues related to the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry, since acts arguably connect to the State policy power may cause damages to the private parties. The work critically examines the decision given by national courts so far and proposes an international approach to face situations involving the State and the necessity to protect investors in the oil and gas industry.


Author(s):  
Stephen R. Gower ◽  
Jude Moore

In-Line inspection has increasingly been used across the oil and gas industry over the past 30 years as a key part of pipeline integrity programmes. Whilst the industry has started to develop standards through the ILI Association and the Pipeline Operators Forum the way in which the industry selects tools and contractors has not developed to the same extent. A significant amount of time is spent managing the procurement process rather than focusing on the selection of the right tools and ensuring they perform to expectations. The challenge is further exacerbated when operations are dispersed globally and involve many different operating relationships. BP has been a user of ILI technology since its introduction in the late 1970s and it has consistently grown in importance to BP in managing the integrity of an aging pipeline asset base. In 2006/2007 BP’s Exploration and Production Technology Group (EPTG) in conjunction with the Procurement and Supply Chain Management group (PSCM) carried out a review of its procurement arrangements across the globe for pipeline ILI to ascertain best practice and capture key lessons. It also gathered experience from other strategic long term supply chain initiatives around the BP Group to help inform and develop the ILI strategy. Early discussions held with ILI Suppliers confirmed that, whilst regional frameworks have been in place in some countries, extending this to a global operation would be breaking new ground in engaging ILI services and would be of benefit to both ends of the supply chain. The process not only needed to follow rigorous supply chain procedures that would meet EU Procurement Directives and BP Group requirements, it also had to meet the specific requirements of many Countries around the world. It was recognised that flexibility would be required to accommodate the introduction of new tools, developing technology and accommodate new areas of operation. BP also wanted to stimulate continuous improvement in ILI tool performance and application of innovative improved technology. More significantly a key objective of the Global Contract was to drive inspection quality and consistency, whilst maintaining a competitive but equitable pricing strategy. Successful implementation was not just about delivering a contract scope of work; it required the development of relationships and a common understanding so that when problems arise they can be resolved quickly and efficiently. This required a significant amount of work engaging both the ILI Contractors and Operating Units across the world in the process. Work on developing the Global ILI Contract was successfully concluded with contract awards in late 2007. The paper explores some of the challenges, lessons learnt and benefits of developing a Global Contract for ILI.


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