According to Kym Fawcett, president of the Canadian Heavy Oil Association (CHOA), it is crucial for Canada to develop its heavy oil and oil sands resources effectively while minimizing the impacts to its people and the environment. CHOA is the hub for this industry, and Fawcett has served as its president since 2012.
“CHOA is a multidiscipline, volunteer-based, not-for-profit association focused on heavy oil and oil sands projects and developments,” explained Fawcett, who also serves as manager of safety and social responsibility for Enerplus Corp. in Calgary, Alberta. “Since its inception 27 years ago, this association has grown to 2,300 members.”
CHOA is not a lobby group and has an open membership, accepting members from all disciplines. Current members represent all aspects of the heavy oil business including exploration, development, production, upgrading, transportation and marketing of heavy oil and oil sands. The association’s members can be found working for industry players, research organizations, regulatory groups and environmental specialists.
“Information, knowledge and expertise define the success of the Canadian heavy oil industry,” Fawcett said. “The industry has come to realize collaboration is key to accelerating the development and implementation of new technologies.”
CHOA hosts regular technical and conference events for its members on topics related to facilities and upgrading; business, transportation and marketing; drilling and completions; reservoir and production; and environment. The association’s events give members an informal opportunity to share project updates and the outlook for new and leading-edge technologies in the heavy oil and oil sands industry. CHOA supports the Canadian heavy oil community in providing a sustainable energy source for the world’s energy needs.
“We can help accomplish this by sharing and increasing industry knowledge and expertise,” Fawcett said. “Our aim is to support our members to increase their understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the industry while increasing the information and expertise they apply to their careers every day. CHOA also coordinates programs and resources with similar organizations, and has contributed to the development of a number of valuable industry resources including a ‘Heavy Oil 101’ industry overview course.”
In 2010, CHOA adopted a new set of bylaws that restructured the governance of the association to create a board of directors focused on strategic governing of the association, and hired an executive director to manage the day-to-day affairs of the association. As president, Fawcett oversees CHOA’s administration and operation, and works closely with its executive director and board members to develop and maintain an effective strategy, vision and purpose.
“One of my main objectives when I took office as president was to continue to develop the governance model,” Fawcett said. “We’ve developed a long-range strategic plan and identified where we want to grow our membership. We also want to make sure our technical and educational offerings focus on all disciplines of the oil sands business.”
Fawcett believes the heavy oil industry will continue to grow, and she is excited about its future.
“I can never see this industry stopping because it has such a financial impact in Canada and the U.S., too,” she said. “Therefore, we should always talk about how we can improve it. I’m extremely proud of the advancements we’ve made in new technologies and reducing the environmental footprint. However, as this industry will always be tightly regulated, we should always be seeking ways to improve.”
For more information, visit www.choa.ab.ca or call (403) 269-1755.
