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OSLI Companies Pioneer Collaborative Approach to Oilsands Challenges

Competition is of ten viewed as the key to success in the corporate world, but five major oil sands companies are part of the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) formed to work collaboratively on key social, environmental, technical and economic challenges facing the development of Canada’s oil sands — the third largest proven oil reserve in the world.

Speaking in December to the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Doha, Qatar, OSLI Executive Director Vincent Saubestre explained the companies decided “working together on specific issues would result in stronger, faster and more focused action on oil sands challenges than could be achieved individually.”

This prompted ConocoPhillips Canada, Nexen Inc., Statoil Canada, Suncor Energy Inc. and Total E&P Canada Ltd. to sign the OSLI Charter in 2010, committing to work collaboratively on mining and in situ oil sands development issues, which will raise the bar for the entire oil sands industry. The Government of Alberta participates as an observer.

Each OSLI company develops its assets individually but works collaboratively to achieve significant improvements in key performance areas. OSLI’s budget has grown from $9 million Cdn in 2010 to $23 million Cdn in 2011, and is expected to increase in 2012.

Saubestre told the international audience that one of OSLI’s long-term goals is to work with remote First Nations and Métis communities in northern Alberta’s oil sands region to create a “community-driven vision that is based on community values.” This differs from short-term, externally driven issue-by-issue projects, which tend to have negligible, positive long-term results.

To ensure communities benefit from oil sands activity, OSLI is working with collaborative partners such as Carleton University, based in Ottawa, to support local communities as they develop the Vision, Structures and Processes (VSP) that allow for long-term success.

Saubestre explained there are currently two pilot projects underway, the first with the community of Janvier, 120 kilometres (km) south of the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, and a second one just beginning with the community of Fort Chipewyan, 220 km north of Fort McMurray.

With support from the Janvier governance structure of Chief and Counsel, OSLI worked with Janvier’s community influencers to arrive at the following vision: the community’s youth are the key to the community’s success.

Janvier developed a voluntary, non-profit board called Sekweha (which means ‘for the youth’ in Dene/Chipewyan). Sekweha is developing the projects and processes required to create a healthy, safe and sustainable community that helps children and youth gain the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to make a positive contribution to their own future and that of their community Sekweha has developed the following programs:

  • StartSmart to provide exercise, a healthy snack and teach cultural values to start the school day;
  • youth summer camp;
  • youth-to-elder outreach;
  • development of a youth centre, and
  • youth-to-industry program.

Saubestre added that developing sustainable communities in the area in which OSLI companies operate is critical to the successful development of the Canadian oil sands.