UNews - oil and gas industry

Three new research centres approved

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:08:29 +0000

The General Faculties Council at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has approved the creation of three new collaborative, and diverse, research centres, which will focus on the creation of oral history, develop community-based collaborations and bring together chemistry and biochemistry researchers from around the world to further their expertise in fluorine technologies.

Growth of research centres and institutes in strategic areas, and the continued development of existing centres and institutes, is a key feature of the Strategic Research Plan of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"The new centres bring the number of specifically-established groups to 13, all of which involve a significant number of cross-faculty or cross-departmental collaborations," says David Hill, the U of L's Director of Centres and Research Institutes.

"These three new groups have exciting plans for growth in their respective research areas that involve students at all levels, develop enhanced relationships with colleagues on campus and internationally and also showcase the U of L as an interesting and innovative place to work and learn."

The Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT)

The Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT) will see researchers collaborate on oral history projects, offer resources and training to students and researchers interested in making oral history part of their research process, and work with partners, such as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Archives, to ensure oral history projects are properly executed, documented and available for future reference.

The Centre for Culture and Community (CCC)

The Centre for Culture and Community (CCC) will serve as a resource for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty and community partners engaged in cultural and community-based studies and creative activity.

The CCC's mission is to facilitate mutually beneficial university-community collaboration and resource-sharing with respect to social-science and humanities research, creative activity and outreach focused primarily, though not exclusively, on Lethbridge and southern Alberta.

The Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT)

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has brought together a local, national and international team of researchers to found the Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies, Canada's first collaborative group with concentration of unique expertise in fluorine chemistry.

The establishment of the Canadian Centre for Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT) will allow the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to become a focal point for tackling challenges in materials, energy and the environment for which fluorine provides solutions, such as the oil and gas industry, manufacturing and steel and aluminum refining.

Alums Myshak, Brown turn knowledge into business

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:34:16 +0000

When they began their academic adventures at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, co-owners of the newly formed Isis Geomatics Incorporated, Steve Myshak (BSc '10) and Owen Brown (BSc '09) were heading down very different career paths.

In fact, Brown wasn't planning on staying at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for long. Originally enrolled in pre-engineering, he intended to transfer to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary to complete his degree there, but one semester in geography at the U of L and he knew he was hooked.

Myshak entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a mature student, looking for a fresh start. He initially majored in history but after switching majors several times, he found his true passion.

"I took Geography 1010. They had it set up so that all the different geography professors came into the class and each took a week to show us the breadth of geography," says Myshak. "After I took that class, I decided that geography was what I liked and what I wanted to do."

Owen Brown, left, and business partner Steve Myshak are off and running with ISIS Geomatics Incorporated.

They both graduated from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with their bachelor of science degrees, Brown in 2009 and Myshak in 2010, and are both set to complete their master of science degrees at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this summer.

"I'd always thought about getting my masters. I had a good relationship with my professor, Chris Hugenholtz; I had done some independent studies with him and I liked the classes he taught. I took a semester off after I graduated, but when Chris asked me one day if I would be interested in the masters' program I just ran with it," recalls Brown.

Myshak, who began studying for his masters under the supervision of Drs. Craig Coburn and Karl Staenz, also began studying the possibility of starting up his own company.

"When I was doing my masters, I was working with Agriculture Canada and I spent a lot of time in the field. We were using ground-based remote sensing. I thought there had to be a better way to get the data. I came up with the idea to attach sensors to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and get the data that way. I looked into government funding, IRAP and Techterra, and found that there was funding available, but I needed someone else's opinion," says Myshak. "Our masters' class used to unwind on Fridays at Backstreet Pub. That is where I approached Owen. I told him I needed a partner and asked him what he thought of my idea. We had taken a couple of classes together in our undergrad and in our masters. Owen is very mature in the way he thinks, he has worked in industry and hasn't just spent all his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Working with Owen was just a natural fit."

"He caught me a little off guard I guess, because I always thought I would just get a job when I finished my masters. I never thought about a business. I talked to my parents and they were very supportive. I decided to try it," says Brown. "We got started right away. Steve had already gotten some government funding, so we put a business plan together, put our nose to the grindstone and got to work."

They incorporated in August 2011. Although there has been a definite on-the-job learning curve, both Brown and Myshak feel strongly about the knowledge base they received and the support they continue to get from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"You gain a lot of critical thinking skills doing research and lab work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. You are given a task and there may be several different ways to do that task. You just have to break it down and do it step by step," says Brown. "We have learned fantastic problem solving skills. The breadth of knowledge we have gained is unbelievable, and the support from our professors on our business has been great."

Using the technical knowledge they gained throughout their academic and work experiences, Myshak and Brown are quickly breaking into the agriculture industry. Judging by the feedback on their recent presentations, they are hopeful that ISIS Geo will soon become a familiar name in the oil and gas industry as well.

"We use UAVs to acquire imagery and then transform that imagery into data using geographic information systems (GIS). UAV's have been used in police and military applications but there are many applications for it in the commercial world," explains Myshak.

"For example, we do vegetation health mapping for remediation, livestock counting and recently we have been doing a lot of work for municipalities, measuring volumes of gravel piles for municipal audits. We have also done some mapping applications as well," says Brown.

Such aerial imaging work has traditionally been done by satellite, but ISIS Geo has a much more detailed response and quicker turnaround of data. With satellite information data, each pixel is 5m x 5m, but with UAV technology, Myshak and Brown can provide data that is 3cm x 3cm.

"One of the advantages is the much better resolution," says Myshak. "The other advantage is that we can fly and have the data the same day, whereas satellite data can take up to two-to-three months to get. We are also less expensive than satellite and we can work when it is cloudy because we fly the copter under the clouds."

Over the past eight months, they have been working on pilot projects that have proven to be highly successful. For this innovative new company, the sky's the limit.

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Wiebo's War latest NFB offering

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:08:48 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library presents Wiebo's War, the latest screening of the library's NFB Film Club series, Wednesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. in room L1060.

Wiebo Ludwig, who died recently of esophageal cancer, was a controversial figure in Alberta. The fundamentalist Christian minister and patriarch of a self-sufficient communal farm in northwestern Alberta has been labelled an eco-warrior and a terrorist for his resistance against the oil and gas industry that has taken over the land in that region.

There were numerous poisonous gas leaks that the Ludwig clan believe caused illness, deaths and miscarriages amongst their family and their livestock. Their complaints went unresolved by the industry and the government, and so began their long struggle against the oil and gas companies in the area.

In 2001 Ludwig was convicted of charges related to the bombing of an oil and gas installation, and he was suspected of involvement in later pipeline bombings.

The 93-minute documentary, Wiebo's War, begins with filmmaker David York trying to convince the family to allow him to document their lives and their story in spite of his atheism. Apparently he won them over, because they allowed he and his film crew to live with them on their compound for up to two weeks at a time over a two-year period. The film goes on to present an inside view of the family's life on the communal farm, their religious faith and their battle against the oil and gas industry.

"A rude guest, believe me," says Ludwig of the gas company invading his family's land.

The animated short film, A Prairie Story, by Calgary director Anne Koizumi, will precede the screening of Wiebo's War.

Harrison assumes Parkland Institute's director's role

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:12:04 +0000

After years as a volunteer supporter, researcher, advocate and co-director at the Parkland Institute, Dr. Trevor Harrison (Sociology) has moved into the director's chair of the Edmonton-based, but province-wide, research organization.

The Parkland Institute studies economic, social, cultural and political issues facing Albertans and Canadians, using the perspective of political economy.

"The institute shares the results of its research widely and promotes discussion of those issues," Harrison says. "Within post-secondary institutions, Parkland Institute includes those who are involved in interdisciplinary and socially-engaged thinking."

With a diverse board and support from members, Harrison says the Parkland Institute is serving a niche purpose.

"One of things that makes the Parkland Institute unique is the connection with the community," Harrison says. "We spend a lot of time trying to get away from complex wording and jargon while preserving the intent of the research, and we try to communicate with the community at large."

Harrison says the Parkland Institute works with religious organizations, professionals, trade unionists, the arts community, non-profit organizations, environmentalists, feminists, social movement activists, private sector individuals and other interested individuals.

Harrison cites ongoing research into disparity – economic and social – as being typical of how the Parkland Institute's work has acted as a catalyst for social change. Alongside other research that outlined the challenges of royalty rights in the oil and gas industry, Harrison says the vastly different projects affected change and drew attention to issues common to all Albertans.

A broad base of members who pay a donation-based individual membership supports the organization, and number more than 700 – a figure Harrison hopes to increase.

"We don't want to be connected to any one particular group, and have found that individual members provide a good base of support. We view this as a two-way conversation, and many research topics have evolved from what our members tell us."

New to the U of L are two awards aimed at faculty and graduate studies candidates, which Harrison hopes will spawn even more research ideas.

To learn more about the Parkland Institute, visit its website at parklandinstitute.ca or e-mail Harrison directly at trevor.harrison@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Career Fair opening doors

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:11:37 +0000

It has proven to be one of the most important days of the year for some ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students. By the number of corporate clients that choose to participate every fall, it's obviously a key date on the calendar for them. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's annual Career Fair is the epitome of a win-win situation.

Presented by the Career Resources Centre and specifically the Career and Employment Services office, Career Fair runs Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the indoor track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

More than 90 organizations will once again take part in the event, providing U of L students with access to information on careers in government, agriculture, the oil and gas industry, banking, health, human and social services, criminal justice, education, retail fitness and more.

A volunteer contingent of up to 70 students helps co-ordinate the one-day career blitz and with ample evidence of past success stories, organizers are confident in saying it's a must to attend for students beginning to plan their career path.

"The feedback we get from both students and employers is wonderful," says Pat Tanaka, director of Career & Employment Services. "So many of our students have started their careers with this fair, and even for those who have no idea what they are planning on doing in the future, it's a valuable information resource for them to start getting ideas."

Wendy Peters, manager, internships at Alberta Municipal Affairs, has used the Career Fair setting to benefit her organization.

"In my experience, this is the best fair offered in terms of how well prepared the students are and how well the employers are treated when they come to campus," says Peters.

Alberta Municipal Affairs has an already established relationship with the U of L's Geography Department and, combined with their Career Fair presence, received great interest in their internship program for new graduates this past year. A total of 19 students applied, four of whom were hired as interns in the Administrator Program and two others who were accepted to the Land Use Planner program, giving the U of L six interns in total.

This year, it's expected a number of alumni will be back on campus, this time representing employers looking to bring more U of L students on board. Tanaka says they will welcome
18 alumni, with the promise of more to come.

"Simply put, it works for both students and employers," she says.

Co-op placement opens doors for Flood

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:47:24 +0000

Finding a job without experience can be difficult. But it can be made far easier with the help of a co-op placement. Just ask Trevor Flood.

The 1999 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge grad completed five co-op terms before earning his bachelor of management degree, giving him an important edge in finding meaningful employment. Flood is now a supervisor with Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), handling royalty reduction programs within the oil and gas industry.

"We're responsible for a number of different areas but the primary focus is gas cost allowances and

Alumnus Trevor Flood gives back to the co-op program that helped him shape his career.

equalizations," he says of his 11-person team.

"We've seen a significant reduction in drilling in Alberta because of the new royalty program. In some ways it's good, because it's helped slow things down as far as what I see coming through Alberta, which is my group's core area."

Flood started at the U of L in fall 1996 after completing a two-year program at Red Deer College. He initially found it hard to land a co-op opportunity but ended up with his first placement at the Red Deer United Way. After that, he began an eight-month co-op at the U of L Management Co-op office, a position that ended up changing his life.

"That was a great job and it allowed me to be a co-op student but still be at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and still experience university life. I learned about the recruiting process and a lot about career development, making sure you set yourself up for a career path that will take you where you want to go," says Flood.

"It really set me up nicely, because I met some really good people. And because of the contacts I made there I was able to line up another position in Calgary with Gulf Canada. That led me into the oil and gas industry, which is what I knew I wanted to do."

Following his final eight-month co-op with Gulf Canada, Flood was able to land another position within the industry before moving into his role with CNRL. This happened, he says, largely because of the U of L's continuing co-op program.

"When I was coming out of university the oil industry was in terrible shape. Nobody was hiring. But because I had a little bit of experience and made some good contacts, I was still able to get in there," he says.

"I think the co-op programs have a huge value. From the student's perspective, you get your foot in the door with great companies. It was a great transition for me from full-time student to part-time student to full-time employee."

Now that he's in a position to do so, Flood has started to use co-op students with CNRL.

During the past five years he has hired five co-op students as a way to ensure the program continues.

"We like to utilize that route whenever we're able to. Generally, they come in and get great experience. They do very similar duties to the full-time people. Most of them pick things up extremely well," says Flood.

"The learning curve is pretty steep for them but it's not insurmountable, so we see a lot of value in it. As long as CNRL continues to place an emphasis on hiring co-op students, I will be involved with the co-op programs."

To learn more about the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, visit this link.

Remote sensing conference featuring exceptional speakers

trevor.kenney — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:32:13 +0000

Remote Sensing researchers who look at the earth from afar – sometimes outer space – are getting hands-on, ground level experiences from June 22-25 at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The U of L is the site for the 30th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing. Conference Chair, Canadian Remote Sensing Society (CRSS) President and U of L Geography Professor Dr. Derek Peddle says more than 200 researchers, industry representatives and students are attending from Canada, the U.S., Europe and elsewhere, including a delegation from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency, national award recipients and editors of the leading international remote sensing journals and publications.

"Remote sensing has many applications for agriculture, forestry, energy and urban planning. Examples include tracking forest fires, oil and gas industry mapping, assessing crop health, mountain pine beetle damage and other environmental challenges, such as floods and natural disasters," Peddle says. "It's important for everyone to meet with other scientists and applications specialists about this work."

Keynote speakers include high-ranking officials from the Alberta and Federal governments, the CSA and NASA, such as Dr. Diane Wickland from NASA Headquarters in Washington DC.

"We're doing new things – making a Conference with a Difference. They'll be accessible to all delegates, for informal interaction – this type of group and format has never been done before at any international symposia," says Peddle.

The conference is a team effort, and Peddle says the key players have put in countless months to make sure everything goes off as planned.

"For me, it started in May 2006. Heather Mirau and our Conference Services staff on campus have been outstanding, and my colleagues in geography, Dr. Craig Coburn and CRSS Executive member Dr. Anne Smith, a researcher at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, have really stepped up to make sure the program and other details are looked after. As well, local industry partners Ryan Johnson and staff at Iunctus Geomatics Corporation plus the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre are highly involved, and are showcasing the technology we have in Lethbridge which makes remote sensing a great business success story for the region."

Remote sensing conference coming to U of L

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:05:11 +0000

U of L and Olds to sign agreement

trevor.kenney — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:06:42 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge would seem to have little in common with Olds College but a new cooperative agreement between the two institutions could see a number of Olds graduates headed to U of L campuses.

Bringing much-needed skill combinations to the Alberta workforce, representatives of Olds College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will sign off on an agreement ultimately offering additional educational options for students and graduates of the Olds College Land Agent Diploma program. The signing will take place Friday at the U of L's Calgary Campus, located on the SAIT campus.

Land Agents (often called Landmen) are responsible for negotiating access to the land and freehold mineral rights for activities such as exploration, development and transporting of onshore oil and gas, or erecting and maintaining power lines. Millions of dollars in land claims are handled every year, with the oil and gas industry being a significant employer.

Approximately 1,500 land agents are registered in Alberta working for energy companies as well as landowners, and play a vital, irreplaceable role in land access negotiations. Approximately 50 students graduate from Olds College's Land Agent Diploma program per year.

With this new partnership, students who have earned a Land Agent Diploma from Olds College will be immediately eligible to enroll in the U of L's Bachelor of Management Degree Program.

In as little as two and a half years, students can obtain a General Management degree from the U of L at its Lethbridge, Calgary or Edmonton campuses, where they can choose from daytime programs (Lethbridge) or afternoon and evening programming (Calgary and Edmonton).

UNews - oil and gas industry

Three new research centres approved

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Alums Myshak, Brown turn knowledge into business

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