September 11 & 12, 2024 • Suncor Community Leisure Centre Fort McMurray, Alberta
Oil Sands Conference & Trade Show
September 11 & 12, 2024 • Suncor Community Leisure Centre Fort McMurray, Alberta
September 14-15, 2022 • Shell Place
Join Industry & Government Leaders, Thought Leaders, And Innovators, As We Come Together To Explore The Future Of Canada’s Oil Sands Industry.
Conference registration includes: two day conference package, two keynote luncheons, networking breaks and the industry reception (September 15, trade show floor) and unlimited access to the trade show. Registration does not include golf, workshops or The BIG Party.
Program subject to updates without notice.
Audio Visual Provided Courtesy of:
September 14
7:30 am – 8:10 am
Registration and Coffee
8:10 am – 8:15 am
Welcoming Address
Laila Goodridge, Member of Parliament, Fort McMurray – Cold Lake
8:15 am – 8:30 am
Greetings from the Province of Alberta
Searle Turton, Energy Parliamentary Secretary, Government of Alberta
8:30 am – 8:35 am
Greetings from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
Sandy Bowman, Mayor, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
8:35 am – 9:15 am
Opening Keynote: Powering Through the Headwinds: Alberta’s Economy in 2022
Taking a bird’s eye view of the global, national, and provincial economy, Sid will provide a timely overview of the many forces affecting Alberta’s economic trajectory. This will include discussion of both energy and non-energy sectors, the labour market and how economic activity in Alberta has evolved, especially since the pandemic. The presentation will also reference ATB Financial’s latest economic forecast and what’s next as we navigate inflation, rising interest rates and the other headwinds blowing against economies around the world.
Presenter: Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Economist, ATB Economics
9:15 am – 10:15 am
Session 1: Reducing Operator Costs Through Contractor & Labour Localization
Access to a skilled workforce is a significant challenge across the country and especially so in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo. What can we do as a community to overcome this issue?
Moderator: Kevin Weidlich, President and CEO, Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development
Presenters:
Dianna de Sousa, Executive Director, Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce
Dan Gallagher, CEO, Mikisew Group
Jay Notay, President & CEO, Keyano College
10:15 am – 10:30 am
Networking Break
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Session 2: From Opportunity, to Relevancy, to Leadership: the evolution of Indigenous Business in the Oil Sands Region
A fireside discussion with local Indigenous business leaders on the past, present and future of Indigenous led business in the oilsands. Partnerships and business contracts with the oil sands industry have provided considerable opportunities for Indigenous owned businesses and the communities in and around the Wood Buffalo region. Increasing relevance has led to increased competition and a growing focus on generating long-term, sustainable value for shareholders, employees and partners. As such, Indigenous businesses are now seeking not only to participate but lead as best in class owners, operators and innovators in the region and beyond.
Moderator: Michelle Toner, Executive Director, Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association
Presenters:
Crystal Young, President & CEO, McKay Metis Group
Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, CEO, Bouchier
Jordan Nail, Indigenous Business Development, Imperial Oil
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Networking Break
12:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Luncheon – UCP Leadership Forum – Canada’s Energy Policy • Alberta’s Seat at the Table and the Future of Our Oil Sands
During this special luncheon, you’ll hear from the UCP Leadership hopefuls, each sharing their views on the future of Alberta’s oil sands, how Alberta fits into a much need Canadian energy policy and how our province adjusts in a net zero future. This is a Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo UCP Constituency Assocation Sponsored Event.
Confirmed Participants include:
• Brian Jean
• Danielle Smith
• Rebecca Schultz
• Leela Aheer
• Todd Loewen
Included with your conference registration. Separate luncheon tickets are available.
2:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Networking Break
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Session 3: Untapped Resources • Meeting the Future Industry Employment Challenges
Where will industry find young people to fill all the necessary roles in the coming years? Are we attracting new people to the industry, and if not how will we overcome this challenge?
Moderator: Lisa Stephenson, Manager, Industry Development & Support, Energy Safety Canada
Presenters:
Carol Moen, President, Women Building Futures
Katie Smith-Parent, Business Development, Industry Diversification, Spartan Controls & Executive Director, Young Women in Energy (YWE)
Mary Beth Green, Director, Human Resources, Fort McKay Group of Companies LP
Shafak Sajid, Senior Advisor, Indigenous and Community Engagement, Pathways Alliance
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Session 4: Supply Chain Opportunities in the Clean Energy Future. What Technologies will Operators Seek? Who Has the Solutions?
How can the relationship between operators and service & supply evolve? The discussion will look at ways the energy sector can look towards their contractor base as a source of technology, innovation and expertise.
Moderator: Gurpreet Lail, President and CEO, Petroleum Services Association of Canada
Presenter:
Lance Wolgemuth, President, Cahill Services
Ian Fowlow, Sales Manager, Spartan Controls
Travis Henson, P.Eng, MBA, Director of Operations, IronSight
Jeff Bonham, Business Development Executive, Fluor Canada
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
The BIG Party Lobsterfest (separate ticket required)
September 15
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Registration & Coffee
8:00 am – 9:15 am
Session 5: Decarbonizing the Oil Sands: Advanced Small Modular Reactors’ Role in Reaching Net Zero
The Government of Alberta is a participant of the Strategic Plan for the Deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Canada. Advanced SMRs can generate reliable emissions-free power and can produce the high-temperature heat necessary for use in multiple industrial applications.
Join this session to learn about the potential of Advanced SMRs to accelerate the decarbonization of Canada’s oil sands operations and launch economic opportunities that will drive our net zero future.
Moderator: Steve Coupland, Senior Advisor, Regulatory Affairs, Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)
Presenters:
Marcy Sanderson, Vice President, Industrial Applications, X-energy Canada
Noel Voykin, Clean Energy Consultant, First Nations Power Authority (representing the National Indigenous Advisory Council on SMRs)
Louie Shoukas, Chief Nuclear Officer, PCL Construction
Eric McGoey, Director, Remote Generation Development, Ontario Power Generation
9:15 am – 10:00 am
Session 6: CRIN: Canada’s Oil and Gas Innovation Ecosystem in Action
Presenters:
Joy Romero, Executive Advisor Innovation, Canadian Natural Resources Limited
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Session 7: Canada’s Oil Sands in a Net Zero World – Futureproofing Canada’s Oil Sands
International and domestic governments and industry are making declarations of “Net Zero” ambitions yet demand for hydrocarbons will remain for decades to come. So, what are the implications for Canada’s oil sands industry? While the industry has deployed technologies and optimized operations to achieve notable improvements in environmental performance, the gap to Net Zero is very significant. This presentation will explore opportunities in innovation across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. In Scope 1 (direct operations) opportunities remain in energy efficiency, electrification, carbon capture and storage, blue hydrogen, and novel extraction processes. Scope 2 (indirect emissions e.g. purchased electricity) opportunities include Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, integration of Renewables, biofuels, and Direct Air Capture. Finally in Scope 3 (downstream including combustion), where the vast majority of emissions actually exist, there is a compelling opportunity to divert the product mix away from combustible fuels and instead manufacture materials like carbon fibre, asphalt binder, and other high value carbon products. Realizing this future will require innovation and collaboration on a massive scale, but with the industry’s AOSTRA experience and current partnership models there are many reasons to be optimistic about the industry’s competitiveness in a Net Zero World.
Presenter: Bryan Helfenbaum, Executive Director, Advanced Hydrocarbons, Alberta Innovates
10:30 am – 10:45 am
Networking Break
10:45 am – 11:45 am
Session 8: Digital Transformation & Implementation
How do artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation potentially change the game? What are some of the new technologies that show promise for improving operational efficiencies, energy efficiency, lessening environmental impacts, reaching net zero, and dealing with labour constraints? This session will provide useful examples of what industry is planning and implementing in the coming years to deliver bottom line results, including automation, IIoT, software, big data, and cybersecurity.
Presenters:
Dr. Quamrul Huda, JR Shaw Applied Research Chair in Industrial Automation, NAIT
Chowdary Meenavilli, Co-Founder, NTWIST
Daryl Youck, President , Richwater Group
11:45 am – 12:00 pm
Networking Break
12:25 pm
Welcoming Remarks, Greg Mann, Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs Canada
luncheon sponsor
12:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Industry Luncheon: The Future of the Oil Sands: The Pathway to Long Term Oil Sands Success
Moderator: Steve McMahon, COO, Innotech Alberta
Presenters:
Drew Zieglgansberger, Executive Vice President • Natural Gas & Technical Services, Cenovus Energy
Joy Romero, Executive Advisor Innovation, Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Andrew Rosser, SVP Operations – Syncrude, Suncor Energy
Included with your conference registration. Separate luncheon tickets are available.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Networking Reception – Trade Show floor