Cornerstone Syncrude 2014

CORNERSTONE
SYNCRUDE CELEBR ATES 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
SU M M ER 2 0 14
S Y N C R U D E C E L E B R AT E S 5 0 Y E A R S O F E X C E L L E N C E
Syncrude has grown up

with Wood Buffalo over
the past five decades
S U M M E R 2 014
Meet your
neighbours
at the local
oil sands
company
TOGETHER
WE
BUILD
SUCCESS.
The PCL family of companies congratulates Syncrude Canada on 50 years

of innovation and progress. PCL is proud of its 35-year-long relationship
with this pioneering and progress-minded Canadian leader.
Over 23 years of collaboration and

trust make the Syncrude & CoSyn
relationship what it is today. We will
never stop driving to innovate and
deliver on our promises; we succeed
when our customers succeed.
www.worleyparsons.com
RELATIONSHIPS
MATTER
Congratulations
Syncrude Canada
on 50 years
Congratulations,
Syncrude, on 50 years
of visionary leadership
in Canadas natural
resources sector.
Alberta Blue Cross is pleased
to be the benefit carrier of
choice for Syncrude and other
leading members of Albertas
oil and gas industry.
Put us to work for

your company.
Alberta Blue Cross delivers
the group benefits that
employees prefer, and the
value your business needs.
Call us today for a confidential, no-obligation quote or talk to your plan advisor.
Edmonton
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780-498-8500
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403-328-6081
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780-532-3507
Red Deer
Toll free 1-866-513-2555
403-294-4004
403-529-5550
403-347-7999
www.ab.bluecross.ca/group
Prescription Drugs Dental Life and Disability Vision Travel Coverage Critical Illness
Spending Accounts Extended Health Employee and Family Assistance Program
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Celebrating 50 years of employee-powered growth.

Our employees are proud of their achievements over the last 50 years. And
we couldnt be more proud of them. Thanks to their dedication, today we are
one of North Americas most respected energy producers. Not to mention
an industry leader in responsible development, community relations and
so much more. Together weve changed the face of our company and our
industryand we will continue to do so for years to come. syncrude.ca
The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership,
Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership, and Suncor Energy Ventures Partnership.
$
$
CONGRATULATING SYNCRUDE CANADA

ON 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS!
PLANT MAINTENANCE | PRESSURE VESSEL COMPONENTS | MACHINING | DRILLING
Edmonton Exchanger provides plant maintenance services for the petrochemical industry, refineries and fertilizer
plants. Our on-site services range from portable field machining and controlled bolting, to turn-key plant and
refinery shutdown projects.
Our steel fabrication division specializes in the fabrication of a full range of pressure vessel component sizes, and
features the most extensive one-stop pressure vessel head forming and shell rolling capabilities in North America.
We are supported by one of the largest inventories of pressure vessel quality carbon steel plate in the world.
Additional services include machining, drilling and profile cutting of steel plate to any size and thickness.
www.edmontonexchanger.com
Interact with us:

www.facebook.com/EdmontonExchanger
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@EdExGroupCo
Together, Were
Taking Energy Further
TM
Nalco Champion has worked closely with Syncrude

for over 25 years, and we have grown together
in the oil sands. We are proud to have partnered
with Syncrude to deliver specialty chemical programs
and sustainable solutions to support the innovation
and progress they have driven in the industry.
In 50 years, Syncrude has changed the shape
of oil sands production, and Nalco Champion
is excited to be a part of what is to come in the
future. Together, were taking energy further.
Visit nalcochampion.com to learn more.
1964 WAS A GREAT

YEAR FOR CANADA
In 1964 Syncrude was created to research the economic and technical
feasibility of mining oil from the Athabasca oil sands. 50 game-changing
years later the name Syncrude is synonymous with scientic and
technological innovation, sustainability leadership and a steadfast
commitment to community.
Congratulations Syncrude, were honoured to tip our hard hat to you.
OILSANDSTODAY.CA
A MESSAGE FROM CANADAS OIL SANDS PRODUCERS.
CANADAS ENERGY
WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT THIS
CONTENTS
72
84
We dont
want to create
something that
resembles a
golf course.
Rochelle Young
110
127
136 YESTERDAYS OIL SANDS

Fen wetlands like the one
Syncrude created on reclaimed
land are an important part of
northern Albertas ecosystem
RECLAMATION ROCKSTAR
University of Saskatchewan
researcher Lee Barbour is
studying water movement
over reclaimed landscapes
110
PLANNING FOR
THE FUTURE
Rochelle Young grew up in
Wood Buffalo and is working
at Syncrude to ensure the
landscape is reclaimed
84
Celebrating 50 years of excellence
127 A CLEAR SOLUTION

Warren Zubot and Gail Buchanan
have found a way to filter tailings
water to the point where it can
support koi fish
OH, GIVE THEM A HOME

From 30 to 300, the Beaver Creek
wood bison herd has thrived on a
landscape reclaimed in 1992
By David DiCenzo
SYNCRUDE
72
11
CONTENTS
START UP
FEATURES
19
42 THE WONDER YEARS

The technologies that Syncrude
developed in its first 14 years are
now used across the industry
By Theodore White
MAKING A HOME
Over 50 years, Syncrude and
Wood Buffalo have grown up
side by side
22 FAMILY MATTERS
Three generations of the Bourque

family have built rewarding careers
in the oil sands
26 EVERYBODY WINS
Syncrude Aboriginal Trades

Program workers believe the
program presents nothing
but benefits
30 ACADEMIC BONDS
Researchers around the world

have benefited from partnerships with Syncrude, and
vice versa
33 RUBBER MEETS
THE ROAD
Employee volunteerism is
evident throughout
the community
CORNERSTONE
QUALITY
Historic investment in value-added
upgrading takes commitment but
yields benefits
48 FROM COAST TO COAST

The oil sands are a national
industry and Syncrudes
economic importance is felt
across the country
By Darren Campbell
115
63
140 THE ROAD TO
REVERSING TIME
Syncrude funding, and fossil
finds, have helped paleontologists understand Albertas
prehistory
By Richelle Wiseman
89
HOME AWAY
FROM HOME
Guest workers have been a key
component of oil sands success
By David DiCenzo
PUTTING LOCAL
COMMUNITIES FIRST
Syncrude has deliberately helped
build Aboriginal-owned companies
through its procurement program
By Shannon Sutherland Smith
STRONG RETURNS
Solid partnerships lead to a successful
future, says Syncrude chair Ryan Kubik
142 THE LOCAL OIL
SANDS COMPANY
Scott Sullivan believes Syncrudes
success is rooted in its commitment
to the community
By Martin Dover
42
ON THE COVER
Daniel and Doris Bona
12
102 QUANTITY MEETS
38
138
63
55
NEIGHBOURS
FIT FOR ALL SEASONS

Byron Stacey believes Syncrudes
safety culture is best in class
56
UNDER PRESSURE
Keeping the lights and taps
working is no easy feat at
Syncrude
59
SMOOTH LANDING
Pilot John Farrington wanted a
career change without the stress
of changing companies
80
SAFETY CULTURE
The Mosengs Canadian Forces
training prepared them for
rewarding careers
59
REINVENTING
THE WHEELS
Stewart Johnsons research has
changed the way industry does
business
99 STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
The CoSyn Alliances Lloyd Goodine
is one of 550 people in Edmonton
working on Syncrude projects
138
LOCAL ROOTS
Its necessary to engage with the
communities where we work
IN THE COMMUNITY
37
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
Edmontons former mayor Stephen
Mandel congratulates Syncrude
96
BETTER THAN PAR

The Syncrude Boreal Open will play
through Fort McMurray
125 THE MAKING OF AN ICON

Wood bison have become a
symbol of northeastern Alberta
129
ROLE MODELS
Aboriginal leaders JP Gladu
and Roberta Jamieson on their
partnerships with industry
146 CRUDE STATISTICS
A numerical look at Syncrudes

contribution to the community
and economy
MILESTONES
60
THE EARLY YEARS
82
THE 1980s
86
THE 1990s
100 THE 2000s

122
96
129
80
TODAY & TOMORROW
55
94
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON

Doris and Daniel Bona built
meaningful careers at Syncrude a
generation apart
SYNCRUDE
38
13
ESCO Congratulates
Syncrude for Fifty Successful Years
BUILT TO WITHSTAND THE OIL SANDS
ESCO Fort McMurray

T: 780-713-3443
ftmcmurrayinfo@escocorp.com
www.escocorp.com
ESCO helps mine sites and Oil Sands extraction processing facilities operate
more safely and efficiently. With a comprehensive range of products and services
including rebuild services, cast blades, and the new Nemisys and Ultralok Mining
G.E.T. systemsthe local ESCO Fort McMurray branch is backed by a global R&D,
manufacturing and technical support network.
Contact ESCO Fort McMurray today to learn more.
FORWARD
SUMMER 2014
PUBLISHER
Ruth Kelly
rkelly@venturepublishing.ca
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul Manuel
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT
Mifi Purvis
mpurvis@venturepublishing.ca
EDITOR
Geoffrey Morgan
gmorgan@venturepublishing.ca
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lyndsie Bourgon
ART DIRECTOR
Charles Burke
cburke@venturepublishing.ca
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORS
Andrea de Boer
Colin Spence
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Betty Feniak Smith
PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS
Brent Felzien, Brandon Hoover
VICE-PRESIDENT, SALES
Anita McGillis
amcgillis@venturepublishing.ca
Contributing Writers
Darren Campbell, Caleb Caswell,
David DiCenzo, Martin Dover, Steve Macleod,
Asheligh Mattern, Alex Migdal, Theodore White,
Shannon Sutherland Smith, Richelle Wiseman
Contributing Photographers
Brian Buchsdruecker, John Gaucher,
Darren Jaknisky, Joey Podlubny, Roth and
Ramberg, Constantine Tanusik, Curtis Trent
Cornerstone is published by
Venture Publishing Inc. for Syncrude Canada Ltd.
10259 105th Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3
Toll Free: 1-866-227-4276
www.venturepublishing.ca
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
P.O. Bag 4023
Fort McMurray, AB T9H 3H5
Tel: 1-800-667-9494
www.syncrude.com
Non-deliverable mail should be directed to
Syncrude Canadas head office.
Syncrude is one of the largest producers of crude

oil from Canadas oil sands and the largest industrial
employer of Aboriginal people in Canada.
Contents copyright 2014 by Syncrude Canada Ltd.
No part of this publication may be reproduced
without written consent.
Dreaming Big
We will maintain our current level

of innovation over the next 50 years
FIFTY YEARS AGO, CANADA WASNT
an energy super power. But 1964 saw the
beginning of our ascendancy into one. It
also marked the start of the commercial
development of Canadas oil sands, which
is one of the largest proven reserves of
crude oil in the world and is recognized
by the federal government as a strategically important resource.
That year also saw the establishment
of Syncrude Canada Ltd., which has since
grown into one of the largest producers
of crude oil from the oil sands and one
of the largest industrial employers of
Aboriginal people in Canada. At the same
time, we helped pioneer technology to
develop Canadas largest deposit of oil in
an environmentally responsible manner.
Over the last 50 years, Syncrudes ambitions have been big and the results have
been nothing short of remarkable. As our
chairman Ryan Kubik says, Syncrude
has helped invent this industry.
We were the first oil sands company to
develop a formal Aboriginal relations and
Aboriginal procurement program to share
successes with our Aboriginal partners.
Syncrude was the first oil sands developer
to ship one billion barrels of crude oil,
and did it six years ahead of schedule.
At the same time, we made returning the
land impacted by our operation back to
nature a sustained focus for our organization. In fact, Syncrude was the first oil
sands company to receive a reclamation
certificate from the Alberta government

for a forested area, called Gateway Hill,
which was once part of a mine.
Im pleased to lead Syncrude into the
next stage of its proud history and continue to strive for greatness. Were investing
about $3 billion in new technologies to
manage tailings, helping reclaim the
original landscape more quickly. Never
satisfied to rest on our laurels, Syncrude
continues to push new technologies forward and build new relationships in the
local communities.
Over the next 50 years, this company will continue to lead. Syncrudes
ambitions have always been big, and that
wont change. Well continue to improve
our environmental performance, build
on our relationships with Aboriginal
communities, invest in the communities
where we operate and make important
contributions to the local, provincial and
national economy.
Syncrudes leadership over the years
comes from our employees, who developed and delivered on the vision that
began in 1964 and grew over the years.
Were proud of what theyve accomplished and know theyll continue to
lead Syncrude and the industry in the
next 50 years.
Mark Ward
Chief Executive Officer
WE BUIL
T
SOMETHING
TOGETHER.
Our members have put in over 280 million hours on Syncrude jobs.
Thats a point of pride for us. We look forward to getting our hands dirty
to build on that success.
Congratulations on your first 50 years.
From your partners and friends at Building Trades of Alberta
CLAC Congratulates Syncrude on its 50th Anniversary!

A Union that Works
www.clac.ca
WHEREVER THERES MINING.

WERE THERE.
With the industrys broadest line of mining equipment,
technology and services, we have solutions that are
right for you.
1-888-finning | finning.ca
(346-6464)
Making
a Home
Syncrude is building a community
alongside its growing oil sands production
I got my first house through

the program, and it was in the
Abasand neighbourhood, which is
basically a Syncrude community,
says Bailey.
Club 63 North has been working since 1976 to provide active
and retired Syncrude employees
with social and community
events. The non-profit club is
managed by Bailey, supported
by employee volunteers and

governed by a board of Syncrude
employees. It was initially
launched to host childrens
Christmas parties. Club 63 North
now puts on a number of events
and provides its members with
discounts for key entertainment
events including the Edmonton
Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos
games, among other offerings.
MICHELLE BAILEY
Michelle Bailey,
manager of
Club 63 North
SYNCRUDE
BETWEEN 1964 AND 1981,

Fort McMurray graduated from
town to city status as the population exploded from 1,200 to more
than 30,000 people. Syncrude
played a key role in the regions
growth by encouraging workers
to become permanent residents
in the community, helping to
establish neighbourhoods and
assisting employees with a
first-time homebuyers program.
Lots of
Syncrude
employees
had five-year
plans, but
theyre still
working here
today.
PHOTO: JOEY PODLUBNY
WHEN MICHELLE BAILEY

followed her dad and uncle to
Fort McMurray from St. Johns,
Newfoundland, in 1983, she
wasnt sure how long she would
stick around. At the time, a
trailer served as the airport that
she flew into with her daughter.
My dad said, Dont freak out,
its really not that far out in the
boonies, recalls Bailey, manager
of Club 63 North, Syncrudes
employee social club.
Bailey didnt freak out, and
after graduating from a Keyano
College business program, she
was hired by Syncrude as a payroll
analyst in January 1989, joining
her late father and uncle at the
company. Bailey has an aunt and
cousin currently working for
Syncrude, her husband is a retired
Syncrude employee and her
brother spent a bit of time in Fort
McMurray working at Syncrude.
I come from a long line of
Syncrude employees, Bailey says.
Together, my family has about
125 years of service.
19
START UP
A PLACE TO CALL HOME:

Wood Buffalo mayor Melissa Blake says that having
permanent residents like Syncrude employees in the
community is a huge benefit.
FAST FACT:
Fort McMurrays average

annual population
growth is approximately
five per cent, making
it one of the fastestgrowing communities
in North America.
CORNERSTONE
Source: CAPP,
Statistics Canada
20
Since the Syncrude joint

venture was formed in 1964,
the organization has worked at
developing a family-oriented
community at the same pace
theyve been developing the oil
sands. When construction began
at the original plant site in 1973,
Syncrude also began development
of the Thickwood neighbourhood,
giving workers a strong community to call home.
When I first came up here,
the town was smaller and your
co-workers were also your
friends, Bailey says. Not as many
people had their families with
them, so your co-workers were
your family too.
MELISSA BLAKE, MAYOR OF THE
Regional Municipality of Wood
Buffalo, also lived in Syncrude
housing when she first moved to
the region in 1982. My parents
were part of the Syncrude housing
development and now Ive been
here, and my children are here,
Blake says. Syncrude was one
of the founding members in the
region, and theyve had a huge part
in establishing and growing Fort

McMurray.
Syncrude currently invests more
than $6 million annually into
the Wood Buffalo community.
That kind of support and positive
relationship between industry
and the city has been essential
in helping Fort McMurray grow
along with production from the
oil sands, especially during the
boom periods of the late-1970s
and mid-2000s.
Its impossible for companies to
exist without employees, and its
impossible for employees to exist
without a community. The ability
to grow job satisfaction is greatly
elevated when a workers family is
nearby, Blake says. The advantages for the community of having
citizens as opposed to fly-in
workers are huge. Its imperative

from the perspective of the community that we attract workers to
be permanent residents.
During her time as a benefits
coordinator, Bailey met several
new Syncrude employees that
planned to make a bit of money
and leave Fort McMurray. But just
like Bailey, those temporary plans
turned into a lifelong career. Lots
of them had five-year plans, but
theyre still working here today,
Bailey says.
The social club brings our
employees together. Its very
important and gives employees
options for doing things as a
family and socially with their
colleagues, Bailey says. Syncrude
has made people want to stay in
Fort McMurray.
NO FLY ZONE: Syncrude encourages its employees to live in

the region and does not fly workers in and out of Fort McMurray
for work shifts with one notable exception. The company flies
staff in from Fort Chipewyan because the only road connecting the
community with Fort McMurray is an ice road that is operational only
in the winter months.
START UP
For us, this

is home and
both Syncrude
and the
community
have been
great.
PHOTO: JOHN GAUCHER
Dan Bourque,
lifelong resident
of Fort McMurray
THREE GENERATIONS:
Dan (left), Randy (middle) and Gary Bourque (right)
followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather
to establish careers at Syncrude.
Family Matters
CORNERSTONE
Three generations of the Bourque family

have built careers at Syncrude
22
THERE ARE 52 YEARS

separating Lawrence Bourque
and his 20-year-old grandson
Randy Bourque, which may seem
like an eternity in some families.
Randy, however, has a different
perspective.
The fact that he and his grandfather have shared experiences
working at Syncrude Canada Ltd.,
Randy says, helps bridge that age
difference, and helps them relate
to one another. Its cool, with
such a big age gap between my
grandfather and me, to still be

able to talk about a place where he
worked before I was even born,
Randy says.
Randy represents the third
generation of Bourques to work at
Syncrude since Lawrence, who is
now retired, moved his family from
Saint John, New Brunswick, to
Fort McMurray in 1976. Lawrence
had been employed at the Irving
Oil refinery in New Brunswick
before moving west, and says
that although it was a great job,
he didnt see the type of job and

economic growth on the East
Coast that would benefit his kids.
Lawrences son Dan recalls,
When we arrived in town in
1976, the population was less than
20,000 and infrastructure was
already beginning to be stressed;
for example, I attended high school
from 6 a.m. until noon and my
brother Gary attended junior high
from noon until 6 p.m. in the same
facility, the Peter Pond School.
Both boys saw the rapid growth
FAST FACT:
Oil travels through a

pipeline at four to eight
kilometres per hour,
roughly walking speed.
Natural gas moves
through a pipeline at
up to 40 kilometres per
hour, about the speed of
an Olympic runner.
Lawrences wife, Luci, worked

for Syncrudes Northward
Developments housing arm
and his daughter Lori worked
in office services.
Growing up in Fort McMurray
has been an incredible experience
for our family, Gary notes. My
brother, sister, and I have gone on
to starting families of our own.
The opportunities to become
immersed in all the sports and
cultural aspects of the town have
always been there if you took the
time to look, and they continue to
expand every year.
Mom and dad said they moved
to Fort McMurray to provide
future opportunities for the
family Dan says. And they were
right. For us, this is home and both
Syncrude and the community have
been great.
move around and not have to leave

the company, Gary says. It has
kept me totally engaged.
Gary and Dan both believe that
with Syncrude, Randy also has a
great opportunity to have a lifelong
career, and his current position
as a steamfitter/pipefitter is a
good beginning. Randy says hes
had great encouragement from
his family to work for Syncrude,
noting that hes been able to buy
a house through the company
housing assistance program and
believes the quality of life is too
good to pass up. The way I look
at it is, you see people moving here
from all over the world to work at
these companies, he says. Why
run away from it?
At one point in 1983, all five
members of the Bourque family
were employed by Syncrude.
SYNCRUDE
in population, as barely a week

went by without a new classmate
arriving from another part of the
country or another part of the
world whose parents came to work
in the oil sands.
Dan Bourque, Lawrences son
and Randys uncle, currently
works as the training leader in
the Mildred Lake mining and
extraction division. He joined the
company in 1979, three years after
his father, just as Fort McMurray
was starting to really grow. Three
years later, Randys father Gary
joined the company. Currently hes
the manager of a major project
and has, like his brother, had the
opportunity to work in a number
of different roles over his 30-plus
years at Syncrude. Thats been the
best thing all the different career
opportunities and being able to
Source: Petroleum Human

Resources Council of
Canada.
23
START UP
The Northern
Alberta Mosaic
Culturally diverse Fort McMurray
is like a miniature United Nations
WHEN FORMER SYNCRUDE CANADA LTD.
CEO Scott Sullivan was invited to give a short
speech at beginning of the Fort McMurray
Chinese-Canadian Cultural Societys Lunar New
Year celebrations, very few in the audience expected
him to give his introductory remarks in Mandarin.
While Sullivan self-effacingly says the remarks
were fairly basic, he nevertheless impressed the
attendees and was met with a standing ovation.
Fort McMurray may be a remote community,
but as Sullivan discovered, its extremely diverse.
The Chinese-Canadian Cultural Society is one

of many cultural organizations across the city.
I didnt expect that in moving to northern Alberta,
Sullivan admits.
Looking around the lunchroom at Syncrudes
Base Plant operation, the diversity of faces reflects
the cultural diversity of the wider community.
Syncrude is like a miniature United Nations,
employing people from all over the world all
of whom are forging their own ties with the
community.
ACFA REGIONALE DE WOOD BUFFALO

What it does: Part of the wider Association
Canadienne-Francaise de lAlberta, the Wood Buffalo
chapter describes itself as at the service of the Francophone community in the city.
Did you know? The ACFA Regionale de Wood Buffalo
estimates that 10 per cent of the city of Fort McMurray
can speak French.
FORT MCMURRAY CHINESE-CANADIAN

CULTURAL SOCIETY
What it does: Promotes the cultural, intellectual,
physical and social well-being of people living in Fort
McMurray and operates the Chinese Heritage School.
Did you know? The Chinese-Canadian Cultural
Society won best overall float at the Canada Day Parade
in 2013.
BANGLADESHI SOCIETY OF WOOD BUFFALO

What it does: One of the newest cultural associations
in Wood Buffalo, the Bangladeshi society was founded
in 2012. The organizations goal is to help newcomers
navigate their way in this City of Hope.
Did you know? Bangladeshi families started arriving in
Fort McMurray in 2002.
HINDU CULTURAL SOCIETY OF FORT MCMURRAY

What it does: Promotes Hindu values and culture and
helps integrate Hindu religious value with Canadian
values by participating in Canadian functions and
multicultural activities.
Did you know? The Hindu Cultural Society invited an
acclaimed magician Jitendra Raghuvir from India for a
magic show and workshop in Fort McMurray in early
March.
CORNERSTONE
NIGERIAN CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF

FORT MCMURRAY
What it does: Promotes Nigerian culture and traditions to the general community in many different ways,
including through social activities and sports.
Did you know? Formed in 2007, the Nigerian Canadian Association of Fort McMurray participates in a yearly
spring cleanup of litter in the community.
24
MARKAZ UL ISLAM
What it does: The Markaz Ul Islam mosque in Fort
McMurray serves as a house of worship and runs an
Islamic school in the city, giving the citys Muslims a
place to meet.
Did you know? Fort McMurray was home to the northernmost mosque in Canada until the construction of the
Islamic Centre in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
S Y N C R U D E C A N A D A LT D .
Congratulations on 50 years
of Building Partnerships, Community,
and Prosperity.
Proud to be a partner in your vision.
START UP
Everybody Wins
CORNERSTONE
A HELPING HAND:
Now that Trudy Boostrom has been through the
Syncrude Aboriginal Trades Program, she wants
to help other Aboriginal men and women.
26
TRUDY BOOSTROM DREAMS

of one day becoming a ticketed
electrician. Thanks to support
from Syncrude, the fourth-year
apprentice is close to making that
dream a reality.
In 2008, the company committed $2 million to Fort McMurrays
Keyano College for the creation
of the Syncrude Aboriginal
Trades Program (SATP), which
took in its first cohort of students
in 2009. The SATP program
offered Aboriginal people the
chance to study at Keyano College for seven months, followed

by a six-week job shadow. The
program was designed to lead
successful candidates to full-time
employment with Syncrude,
pending the outcome of an
apprenticeship entrance exam.
Boostrom continues to work
her way toward journeyperson
status, which she says has helped
her provide for her family and
has allowed her to establish a
rewarding career. For Syncrude,
Boostroms hard work and dedication so far is just one example

that highlights the potential
of the program. For Boostrom,
being an early participant and
an example to other Aboriginal
women is important.
Im extremely proud, she says.
Im a mother and its challenging
to complete something successfully and still manage being a
mom and looking after the needs
of my family. Thats one of the
biggest hurdles for Aboriginal
PHOTO: ROTH AND RAMBERG
SATP helps develop an underrepresented

talent pool and benefits Aboriginal neighbours
From extraction to upgrading,

it takes a lot of products and resources to keep
Albertas oil sands facilities running safely and reliably,
including electrical components.
Thomas & Betts has been meeting the electrical needs of Canadian industrial facilities,
including Syncrude Canada, for over eight decades. This experience has been
the inspiration for many of our made in Canada, for Canada products, designed to perform
in the harshest environments while simplifying installation and maintenance.
Congratulations to Syncrude Canada on their 50th Anniversary.

Discover the complete range of Thomas & Betts products at www.tnb.ca.
Thomas & Betts. Your best connection for innovative solutions.

Wire & Cable Management
Cable Protection Systems
Power Connection & Control
Safety Technology
Congratulations Syncrude
on 50 years of success and
your continued commitment
to a sustainable future.
Your proud partner of 15 years in

providing comprehensive legal solutions.
David van Leenen
Jonathan W McCully, CD
www.sharekco.com
START UP
I want to help
get Aboriginal
men and
women
through this
program, and
keep them
here and
keep them
providing for
their families.
women. Boostrom credits help

from her family her husband,
children and extended family
for supporting her through the
process. She also says that she is
extremely grateful to her team
at Syncrude for supporting her
and being patient with her as she
learns the trade.
Boostrom isnt the only person
at Syncrude whos proud of
her accomplishments. Annie
Lawley, maintenance manager
with Syncrude and chair of
the apprenticeship committee,
says that Boostroms passionate
endorsement of the program and
pride in nearing the finish line
makes her a great ambassador
for the SATP. She doesnt just
want the program for herself,
she wants it for the people in her
community, Lawley says.
Lawley says she has had conversations with direct supervisors
for several SATP participants, all
of whom are making their way

towards journeyperson status,
and all rave about the hard work
and dedication shown by the
apprentices.
Its a win for the company,
for the Aboriginal communities
and also for the people who
emerge with rewarding careers,
and not just jobs, Lawley says.
As a ticketed millwright, she says
that working in a trade provides
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
workers alike with greater
financial stability and a rewarding
long-term career.
Obtaining my electrical ticket
is my goal; it will ensure that Ill
be able to take care of my family, and that Ill be able to retire
comfortably, all the way down to
medical and dental benefits and
the types of benefits that some
people take for granted, Boostrom says. There are so many
amazing benefits to working here.
That doesnt mean the fouryear apprentice program shes

been working through has been
easy. Boostrom says she gets up
at 5:30 a.m. every day, in good
and bad weather, to get herself to
work and work hard.
Even though its been a
challenging journey with the occasional setback, Boostrom says
she will continue to recommend
the program to other Aboriginal
people in her community. Im
so passionate about it now, she
says. Going from where I was
in life to where I am now, I want
to be hands-on and help this
program. I want in. I want to
help with the curriculum, I want
to help with the mentoring and
I want to help in any way that
I can to get Aboriginal men and
women through this program
and keep them here and keep
them providing for their families
because everybody wins.
28
ANOTHER STANDOUT:
Tabitha Quintal is another one of several SATP
success stories inspiring others in her community.
CORNERSTONE
Trudy Boostrom,
on her way to a ticket
START UP
Academic Bonds
Syncrude has benefited from the work of the worlds top researchers, and vice versa
SYNCRUDES RELATIONSHIPS
with the post-secondary and
research world have been ongoing
for nearly 50 years, and its no
surprise. Syncrude started as a
research organization and has kept
up links to the academic world,
furthering the companys business
and technologies. Over the past
five years, it has funded more than
$18 million in research programs,
and has provided millions more for
scholarships, learning programs
and campus infrastructure.
University collaboration has been

really important to us, because
it helps expand our capability,
and we leverage bright people to
work on our problems, both the
professors and the students, says
Jim Kresta, a research programs
advisor at Syncrude.
From research on the Sandhill
Fen watershed to process control
to tailings research, Canadian
universities have played a key role
in advancing Syncrudes business.
In many cases, Syncrude has gone
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

With Dr. John Grace, from the universitys
chemical and bioengineering department,
Syncrude has been working since the late 1980s
in the upgrading sector and fluidization. His
connections to the University of Ottawa and
Dalhousie University stretch his research across
the whole country.
NAIT
Syncrude partnered with NAIT in 2008
and provided a $1 million contribution
to help build, expand and equip labs and
classrooms in the NAIT Spartan Centre for
Instrumentation Technology.
CORNERSTONE
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Syncrudes $500,000 donation in 2011 to the
University of Alberta supports the Discover E and
WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering,
Science and Technology) outreach programs for
K-12 students in the Wood Buffalo region. The
Discover E program, led by the U of As Faculty of
Engineering, helps students experience the excitement of engineering, science and technology.
30
MACEWAN UNIVERSITY
Syncrudes 2012 donation of $250,000 to MacEwan
Universitys Bachelor of Science in the Engineering
Transfer program supports the programs Engineering Boot Camp, the Engineering SolidWorks
Workshop and the Student Research Showcase.
on to hire the graduates from

these programs.
There are even international
ties. Syncrude has partnered
with the University of Hong
Kong, Princeton, Rice University
and the University of Southern
Illinois. They help us understand the fundamentals, and we
apply their research to solve our
problems, says Kresta. Within
Canada, Syncrudes partnerships
with post-secondary institutions
are ongoing.
KEYANO COLLEGE
In 2008, Syncrude committed $5 million
to Keyano College for the Syncrude
Aboriginal Trades Preparation program
and the Oil Sands Power and Process Lab.
Syncrude also runs a wildlife survey project with Keyano College. It is measuring
the presence of large terrestrial mammals
on the Syncrude site and comparing it
with surrounding areas.
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Syncrude committed more than
$1.3 million in 2012 towards
geoscientist Dr. Lee Barbours
Hydrogeological Characterization of
Oil Sands Mine Closure Landforms
research into the performance of
reclaimed mining areas.
QUEENS UNIVERSITY
The Queens School of Computing is
researching monitoring of vibrating
screens, a sieve-like process that
separates uncrushed rock and debris
from the oil sands. The university is
developing technology to help Syncrude
measure the wear on the screens.
Congratulations
SynCrude
on 50 years of innovation and community involvement

Technology Special evenTS ScholarShipS/endowmenTS/BurSarieS/awardS/programming infraSTrucTure
Gala Golf One-on-One Affair for the Arts Syncrude Arts Alive Series Environmental Studies Trades & Industrial Career Preparation Aboriginal Studies
Adult Literacy Student Support Athletics Syncrude Technology Centre Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre Oil Sands and Proess Engineering Lab
You have played an integral role in helping us

become a leader in post-secondary education.
We thank you for your continued support of our programs, facilities, events, students and more!
keyano.ca
Happy 50th Birthday

Syncrude has 50 reasons to celebrate in 2014!
Were grateful to have been a part of 29 of them.
Tuccaro Inc. Group of Companies: Neegan fuel & mine services;
Tucs potable water & waste water; NTS lab & geotechnical
analysis; WPS bottled water & coffee services; TPS property
development & management. Contact us at, 780-791-9386.
CONGRATULATIONS SYNCRUDE
CANADA ON YOUR 50TH YEAR.
Ledcors expertise in delivering fully integrated services provides
clients and partners solutions to successfully execute complex
projects while supporting operations and future development plans.
We look forward to your next 50 years of success!
VISIT LEDCOR.COM
START UP
FAST FACT:
GRATEFUL FOR GOOD NEIGHBOURS:

United Way Fort McMurray executive director Diane
Shannon says Syncrudes support for the community
is woven into the companys corporate culture.
Syncrude is investing
$2.7 billion to implement
tailings management
technologies.
Source: Canadian Oil
Sands Limited
Rubber Meets the Road
employees getting involved and

making a difference, says Diane
Shannon, executive director with
United Way Fort McMurray.
Shannon says Syncrudes
involvement isnt just important
for United Ways initiatives but
also for the entire community.
United Way Fort McMurray
invests all the money raised
under its umbrella back into the
region through more than 70
different programs.
Syncrude really makes United
Way a part of its corporate culture to get involved and make a
difference, she says. And it does
Investment program, which

included money to register the
club with the province and create
a website to build a presence in
the community.
Syncrudes charitable efforts
are as old as the organization
itself. In 1978, the company
shipped its first barrel of oil and
hosted the inaugural campaign
kickoff meeting for United Way
Fort McMurray. Syncrude has
supported United Way ever
since, and raised $2.46 million
in donations during its 2013
workplace campaign. Thats
not just a corporate cheque; it is
SYNCRUDE
WHILE RIDING THE 125kilometre GranFondo cycling

race in Kelowna, B.C. in 2012,
Patrick Dardis was struck by
inspiration. I was riding with
900 other people and I just
thought, we need something like
this in Fort McMurray, says
Dardis, a project manager
with Syncrude.
Three months later, the
Wood Buffalo Cycling Club was
incorporated as a not-for-profit
society. Syncrude supported
Dardiss efforts in founding
the club by providing financial
support through its Community
Community support spans many initiatives, from a 36-year history with

United Way Fort McMurray to a brand new inclusive cycling club
33
CORNERSTONE
Diane
Shannon says
Syncrudes
involvement
isnt just
important for
United Ways
initiatives,
but also for
the entire
community.
34
PHOTO COURTESY: WOOD BUFFALO CYCLING CLUB
START UP
WOOD BUFFALO CYCLING CLUB:

Syncrude project manager Patrick Dardis helped
establish Fort McMurrays first cycling club.
this with other social enterprises

and charitable organizations in
the community as well.
Syncrude employees who
volunteer in the workplace
campaign gain valuable leadership development experience and
move on to serve prominent roles
with other organizations in the
charitable sector. They chair
boards at other organizations or
committees here at United Way,
she says. Its important for the
community to get people engaged
and involved.
Dardis hopes to use his
experience to build more interest
in youth cycling when his club
hosts more than 300 cyclists at
the Alberta Bicycle Associations
Road Provincial Championships
on August 24, 2014. The event
will serve as a test run for the
cycling road events featured
during the 2015 Western
Canada Summer Games in Fort
McMurray, which Syncrude will

also sponsor. At the provincials,
cyclists will complete between
four and seven loops of the
16-kilometre course.
Dardis also began working
with city council two years ago
to develop a bike skills park, and
he expects construction to begin
this year. The park is modelled
after the Valmont Bike Park in
Boulder, Colorado, which boasts
mountain bike trails and BMX
obstacles. Its not my kind of

riding, but the youth like it,
Dardis says, noting the clubs
25 members include both road
cyclists and mountain bikers.
This summer, the cycling club
will also host the Trailblazers
youth races, designed to encourage youth of all ages and
abilities to try competitive
mountain biking, making it
fully accessible to young people
across Alberta.
NEIGHBOURLY ACTIONS
Syncrude supports community involvement among its
employees and retirees through the companys Good Neighbours
Program. The program provides grants to non-profits where employees and retirees volunteer their time.
In 2013, Syncrude distributed $116,000 to 70 non-profit organizations through the efforts of nearly 200 Syncrude employees and
retirees. Syncrude also provided dozens of busing grants, valued
at $80,000, to many of the same organizations to offset the cost of
travel to out-of-town tournaments and events.
CONGRATULATIONS
ON YOUR 50TH
ANNIVERSARY!
Design Group Staffing Inc.

would like to congratulate
Syncrude on turning 50!
We are honoured to be part of
Syncrudes success by placing over
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But our commitment doesnt stop there. Motion Canada provides a
wide range of services to support our customers with repairs and fabrication, inventory and storeroom management, specialized cost-savings programs and much more. So whether you need a hard-to-find
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IN THE COMMUNITY
Golden Anniversary
The former Edmonton mayor knows that Syncrudes
success has been of an operational and communitybuilding nature in northern Alberta
Syncrudes hiring policy, which is

inclusive, drawing nine per cent
of its workforce from Aboriginal
communities.
This is a model for corporate
participation, vision and
commitment. Yes: Syncrude has
been a very successful Alberta
story, which we should be very
proud of, but it is also a company
that understands community.
Congratulations on 50 great years
and all the best for the next 50.
Stephen Mandel
to our post-secondary institutions

across Alberta.
And as much as the company
was a pioneer in advancing the
oil sands, it was also very quick
to understand the importance
of building strong relationships
with our First Nations and
Mtis communities. Since 1992,
it has procured over $2 billion
in services and supplies from
Aboriginal-owned companies,
creating enormous opportunities
for the communities in which it
operates. Equally important is
STEPHEN MANDEL
Much as
Syncrude was
a pioneer in
advancing
the oil
sands, it also
understood
the
importance
of strong
relationships
with our
First Nations
and Mtis
communities.
SYNCRUDE
HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Syncrude! Reaching this milestone is a remarkable achievement
for any company but especially
for one whose goals seemed so
audacious at its beginning. Its
success was achieved by proving
the unproven and building
community alongside so many of
Albertas northern settlements.
Syncrudes success, its best
achievements, has not been only
stories of innovation and business
risk though they certainly can
speak strongly here but also of
success in the community.
I will always believe that community building was an essential
pillar of Syncrudes success. The
companys presidents Eric Newell,
Jim Carter and most recently Scott
Sullivan have all been strong
community builders, building their
corporate headquarters and lives in
Wood Buffalo.
Over the years, Syncrudes
community contribution has
been integral to institutions like
Keyano College and its Syncrude
Sport and Wellness Centre as
well as public schools and arts
organizations. The spirit of the
company is carried forward every
day by its employees who play
active roles in their communities
as well as coaches, organizational
leaders and active volunteers. This
is the Syncrude way.
Syncrudes impact is not just felt
in the North, but during my time
as mayor of Edmonton I witnessed
the impacts of its contributions
to research at the University of
Alberta and for groups like the
Stollery Childrens Hospital, the
Mazankowski Heart Institute and
37
CORNERSTONE
NEIGHBOURS
38
DANIEL AND DORIS BONA
Like Mother,
Like Son
For the Bona family, Syncrude-supported
volunteerism is just a part of the
company culture
BY Geoffrey Morgan PHOTOGRAPHY Roth and Ramberg
GROWING UP
TOGETHER
The population of Fort McMurray

has grown dramatically since
Syncrudes incorporation in 1964.
1964 1,303
1974 9,542
1984 35,352
1994 34,706
2004 67,105
2014 116,000
(estimated)
Daniel is now
acting as an
ambassador
for Syncrude,
encouraging
others to join
the company,
just like his
mother
and father
encouraged
him to start his
career in the
oil sands.
local community and beyond. He

has helped out at the career fair
at his own high school and has
gone with the company to a Skills
Canada competition and career
fair in Edmonton.
Syncrude sponsored a program
called Try a Trade at the competition, Daniel says. So we had a
big booth set up near the heavy
duty mechanic section, where we
had a whole bunch of different
activities for the kids to try out.
In the end, he says there were
roughly 5,000 kids who were
able to try being a heavy-duty
mechanic over the course of a
few days. In this way, Daniel is
now acting as an ambassador
for Syncrude, encouraging others
to join the company, just like
his mother and father encouraged him to start his career in
the oil sands.
the 400-tonne Caterpillar 797s.

In the time since Doris moved
to Fort McMurray (from Legal,
Alberta) and as Daniel has grown
up in the community, the motherand-son pair says the city and
community have grown by leaps
and bounds. We built our house
in 1984, she says, and that was
just the third house on the block.
The population of Fort McMurray
has more than tripled in that
time, from 35,352 people in 1984 to
116,407 people at the last census.
Both Doris and Daniel are committed to the community where
their careers have flourished.
Doris says that she is especially
thankful to Syncrude for allowing
her to work on a partial schedule
so that she could spend more time
with her children when they were
growing up. As a result, Doris
frequently took them to join her
in volunteering at the local soup
kitchen. The volunteer contribution has had a strong effect on her
son Daniel.
In addition to his work on
Syncrudes heavy-haul trucks,
Daniel is now a volunteer with the
companys fire department. My
dad used to work in Syncrudes
upgrading area, so if we got a fire
call involving that area, I would
talk to him and he would be able
to explain the product and process
to me. Daniel also tours with the
company to career fairs in the
SYNCRUDE
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN

Daniel Bona was considered
something of a rarity. Anywhere
I go, even in Alberta, people ask,
Where are you from? I say, Im
from Fort McMurray. They say,
No, where are you really from?
There is an increasing number
of people like Daniel, who were
born and raised in Fort McMurray and continue to call the place
home. Both of Daniels parents
worked at Syncrude Canada Ltd.,
and his mother, Doris Bona, has
been with the company since 1979
when she worked with its housing
arm, Northward Developments.
She now works in human resources and says she has always been
supportive of her son working
at the company. Syncrude has
provided me lots of opportunities
and its provided me great benefits
as well, she says.
Daniel joined Syncrude in
February 2010, after completing
his schooling at Grande Prairie
Community College in Fairview.
This was at a time when few
other companies were hiring and
most were still reeling from the
global recession.
When I got the job offer from
Syncrude, it was a no-brainer,
he says. He started as a heavyduty mechanic second year apprentice and eventually earned his
journeymans ticket working on
the heavy-haul trucks, including
39
CONGRATULATIONS
SYNCRUDE
on a successful 50 years!
WWW.MIDLITE.CA
MIDLITE would like to congratulate

Syncrude on this exciting milestone!
We applaud you on this incredible
level of achievement, as an industry
leader in the oil sands for 50 years!
Midlite Powerline Construction Ltd., Is
an aboriginal and privately owned
local company by Rocky Buksa; was
founded in 1989 and began working
with Syncrude in 2000. Since then
Midlite has had the privilege of
building a strong and successful
partnership with the Syncrude
management team and its staff.
Numerous successful projects include
the construction of a new 260 kV line
between D-05 and G-01, 72 kV
construction during UE1, 72 kV
construction on the MLMR project, 72
kV construction and demo for the AMR
project and all 72 kV and construction
power for the MLMR project.
Syncrude has played a transformative
role in the oil sands industry and their
high standards of integrity, ethics and
commitment to safety has assisted in
their achievements over 50 years.
Congratulations Syncrude we wish
you many more decades of success.
ROCKY BUKSA
President
CURTIS NELSON
General Manager
The
Wonder
Years
Before Syncrude produced its first barrel

of oil, the company spent years in
research and development
CORNERSTONE
BY Theodore White PHOTOGRAPH BY Curtis Trent
42
BRAIN POWER:
Richard Maslanko builds on 50
years of Syncrude research.
43
SYNCRUDE
We were
establishing
what the
best set of
conditions
was, or
multiple
millions of
dollars would
be lost by
being off
by just one
per cent.
Richard Maslanko,
at home in the lab
S
CORNERSTONE
YNCRUDES 78,000-SQUARE-FOOT
lab splays out across nearly a hectare of
land in the Edmonton Research Park.
At the entrance, four long rows of
plaques bearing patents obtained by the
companys scientists stretch across the
lobby towards an aquarium, where two
koi and one goldfish swim in water taken from a
tailings pond.
The water is clear and the fish are swimming in
it because it was filtered through petroleum coke,
a byproduct of Syncrudes process of upgrading
bitumen into crude oil. This research project is now
being tested on a larger scale, and its responsible for
another of the plaques mounted on the wall. It represents one of 140 patents earned by Syncrude, which
began researching how to develop the oil sands 14
years before mining its first barrel of crude oil.
44
THE LEGEND OF MR. INVENTION

Richard Maslanko knows every crevice of the
Syncrude Research & Development Centre. One of
100 staff at the facility, the 58-year-old researcher
was here when it opened in its new location in 1994.
He knows the original research centre on the eastern
edge of Edmonton well, too, working there for nearly
20 years before Syncrude outgrew its walls.
Donning a worn blue lab coat, the pockets

practically overflowing with every colour of pen and
highlighter, he looks back fondly on his first day
with the company in 1976. By then, Syncrudes team
of 40 engineers and scientists had made several
breakthroughs. The first came in 1966 with Patent
No. 1, a small gain in fluid treatment by Lubomyr
Cymbalisty, known to colleagues as Mr. Invention
because hed garnered dozens of oil sands technology patents.
A number of patents from 1966 demonstrate
Cymbalistys ingenuity and explain Syncrudes rise
into one of Canadas largest producers of crude oil.
From Patent No. 2, (Process and Apparatus for
Stripping Solids from Bituminous Sands) to
No. 5 (Tar Sand Extraction), the goal was simply
to wring that stubborn oil from the sand.
Most of the research was focused on bitumen
extraction, Maslanko says. At the time, the company was still focused on how best to recover energy
from oil sands a question that Maslanko says first
captured his imagination in the ninth grade. The
teacher showed us the oil sands in a jar and I said,
Wow that looks like asphalt. But it was malleable. I
smelled it and it was a very new smell. I touched
it and it was just sand with bitumen in it. So how
do you best extract the oil in that sand?
SMS14-026_PRT-final.pdf 1 4/15/2014 1:54:05 PM
Congratulations
Syncrude
on your
50th anniversary
PHOTOS: ROTH AND RAMBERG
Komatsu 960E
The 960E-2 Invertex AC
control system offers
independent control of the
rear wheel motors, which in
turn provides outstanding
traction-ability during wet
and slippery conditions, thus
improving tire wear and
operator confidence.
At the time, he would never have guessed how

much hed contribute to answering that question.
A WIDER BENEFIT TO SYNCRUDES RESEARCH
One of Maslankos early jobs at the research centre
was evaluating chemical additives and various water
temperatures for extracting bitumen from oil sand,
also known as bitumen production. Establishing
bitumen extraction parameters was an early
focus, says Glen Rovang, manager of research and
development, who joined the company in 1985.
To this end, Syncrude designed and fabricated a
bench top bitumen extraction unit to test various
extraction conditions before the best set of conditions were further tested on an in-house pilot plant.
That whole process allowed us to test all
conditions before we implemented them on site,
Maslanko explains. We were establishing what
the best set of conditions was, or multiple millions
of dollars would be lost by being off by just one
per cent.
Maslanko contributed to another landmark
project in 1994, one of the first out of the new
research centre. His team was tasked with quantifying naphthenic acid, a naturally occurring organic
substance found in petroleum sources including
oil sands ores. The substance appears in tailings in
Fort McMurray 63 North
1 780-714-5300
Fort McMurray Townsite
1 780-790-1712
smsequip.com
PHOTOS: ROTH AND RAMBERG
FAST FACT:
At 10 C, bitumen is as
hard as a hockey puck.
Source: Petroleum
Human Resources
Council of Canada.
small quantities due to the water-based bitumen

extraction process. In fact, because naphthenic acid
has surfactant properties, it aids in the separation
of oil from water. But its presence in tailings water
presents a challenge in ensuring successful mine
closure and reclamation. Thats why Maslanko
worked to quantify it. Measuring the acid was
difficult, but by using an infrared spectrometer
Maslanko and his colleagues discovered that
naphthenic acid had unique quantifiable infrared
absorbances. We just wanted to understand what
was happening in the tailings ponds, he says.
By successfully developing this technique, a longheld problem of easily quantifying naphthenic acid
was resolved.
There was no easy way to quantify naphthenic
acid at the time, he says. There were expensive
ways of doing it, but this was a very easy and quick
way. Fast-forward 20 years and were still using
that naphthenic acid technique we developed with
some modifications. As are Syncrudes competitors.
Quantifying naphthenic acid would help lay the
groundwork for the Base Mine Lake reclamation

project 20 years later. Its an example of discovery
research at Syncrude, which spends about $65 million
a year on research and development. Some things
require a vision of the future and decades of work
to develop and implement, Rovang says.
NEW BREAKTHROUGHS
Other research projects during Syncrudes early years
were based around adapting technology from around
the world to northern Albertas seasonal fluctuations.
Trucks and shovels used in warmer climates or used
to mine more concentrated minerals often caused
headaches up north. The cold weather affected the
metals and lubricants, while the wear from mining
oil sands was severe.
Oil sand is very abrasive, Maslanko says. If
you have to deal with it while its frozen, its even
tougher. The Edmonton researchers made many
metallurgy and wear-resistance improvements,
including modifications to draglines and bucket
wheels, though today these have been rendered
20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN INDUSTRIAL AIR QUALITY SERVICES
obsolete thanks in part to another Syncrude

patent that Maslanko calls a game-changer.
He speaks of hydrotransport. Prior to the first
hydrotransport process in 1997, draglines would
excavate the oil sand and put it in windrows that
bucket wheels dumped onto conveyors that transported the material to the plants large tumbler.
Now, the oil sand could be mixed with water
closer to the mine and moved through a pipeline
that would condition it for the extraction process.
That development was a turning point for both
Syncrude and the whole industry. It also led to
Patent No. 101, Low Temperature Version of
the Hot Water Extraction Process for Oil Sand.
This allowed Syncrude to extract bitumen at
55C, a temperature far lower than was previously
required. It was a significant reduction in energy
use, Rovang says.
Rovang believes Syncrudes roots as a research
company has shaped its culture. Its in our blood.
Innovation, science and technology development
are very much in our DNA. Its how we started,
Rovang says. The process developments that

you see today, compared to what we did before
and how efficient it now is, that all comes from
ongoing development.
Though Syncrudes early years largely focused
on the extraction process, now environmental
and reclamation research makes up 60 per cent
of the companys research portfolio. The first
Syncrude mines are now ready to be reclaimed
so Rovang sees the emphasis on environmental
research as a natural progression.
The former West mine is at the centre of
this new focus. Building off naphthenic acid
measuring techniques and the water remediation
technology it pioneered, Syncrude is testing
methods that could turn this area into an aquatic
reclamation land form. Maslankos contribution
to this effort leaves him optimistic. In our need
for energy in Canada, I feel proud that we are
producing it responsibly and the research that we
do demonstrates that, he says. Weve had some
cool breakthroughs.
Though the
companys
early years
largely
focused on
extraction, now
environment
and reclamation research
makes up 60
per cent of
the research
portfolio.
A history of successful
research partnerships
www.engineering.ualberta.ca
Faculty of
ENGINEERING
University of Alberta
In 1920, University of Alberta engineering professor Karl Clark began researching ways to
develop Albertas oil sands, in partnership with the fledgling Alberta Research Council. Dr. Clark
developed the original hot-water extraction techniques used in modern oil sands operations.
The Faculty of Engineering has continued to be the partner of choice for the responsible
development of our natural resources in collaborations with industry and government.
For more information on research partnerships that work, such as our almost
50 years of interaction and collaboration with Syncrude Canada Ltd., visit
www.engineering.ualberta.ca/research
CORNERSTONE
48
LAND-LOCKED SAILOR:
Paul Kearney aboard an Ontario-built boat
used to manage Syncrudes tailings.

|
BY Darren Campbell PHOTOGRAPH BY Roth and Ramberg
SYNCRUDE
Canadians from Vancouver to

St. Johns benefit from the oil sands
49
T
This work
fits our fort
to a tee, he
says. Its an
interesting
project and
there were
a number
of different
challenges
we faced.
HERES A SHIPYARD ON THE COAST

of Lake Erie, just down the road from
the town centre of Wheatley, Ontario,
that has become one of the more
unlikely places to benefit from the oil
sands in land-locked Alberta.
Hike Metal Products Ltd., a
mainstay business of tiny Wheatley (population
2,925) since 1958, is a boat-building company that
was contracted by Syncrude Canada Ltd. in 2013 to
build two icebreakers and two work boats for the
company to use in the management of its tailings.
The four boats will help ensure a steady flow of fluid
fine tailings (FFT) pumping from the Mildred Lake
Settling Basin to the FFT-Centrifuge Full Scale
Plant, once construction is complete and the plant is
commissioned and handed over to Syncrude.
Hike Metal delivered the two 26-foot aluminum
work boats to Syncrude in June 2013, and it expects
to have the two 45-foot steel icebreakers by June
of 2014. Andy Stanton, president and CEO of Hike
Metal, says the Syncrude project represented about
15 jobs at the company, which employed a total of
35 people in 2013. He admits he didnt think his
company would ever be doing work for the oil sands
sector, but now he hopes to do more. This work fits
our fort to a tee, he says. Its an interesting project
Andy Stanton, president

and CEO of Hike Metal
Products Ltd.
FAST FACT:
Its estimated that the

oil sands industry will
purchase roughly $117
billion in supplies and
services from businesses
outside Alberta in the
next 25 years.
CORNERSTONE
Source: CERI
50
BOATING ENTHUSIASTS:
Ontarios Hike Metal hopes to do more
work in the oil sands after building four
boats for Syncrude.
and there were a number of different challenges we

faced. Were hopeful it will lead to more work in
the future.
THE OIL SANDS REPRESENT MORE THAN JUST
an Alberta story. Successful development of the
resource is a Canadian story. In the early-2000s,
when Syncrudes Aurora mine was first being commissioned, Paul Kearney first started to recognize the
economic impact his company was having beyond
Albertas borders.
The momentum was building at that time,
that we were a national name and there was lots
of construction work with people coming from all
over the country, says Kearney, who is Syncrudes
manager of project execution. With that came the
recognition of the oil produced out of Fort McMurray, and the projections of what was going to be
produced in the future. People started to grasp the
significance of the oil sands.
These days, the significance of the oil sands to
Canadas economy is even more apparent. According
to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, oil sands production was 1.8 million barrels per
day in 2012. CAPP forecasts that number will grow
to 5.2 million barrels per day by 2030 a 288 per
cent increase. That kind of production growth will
In the midand late-1990s,

Syncrude was
a leader in
every aspect
of oil sands
extraction, and
it understood
it had to ensure
the benefits
of extraction
were shared.
Anne McLellan, former
deputy prime minister
and minister
of natural resources
FAST FACT:
The Caterpillar 797s

parts are made across
the U.S., boosting
economies in Indiana,
Illinois, Louisiana and
South Carolina.
CORNERSTONE
Source: CAPP
52
ANNE MCLELLAN
generate a lot of business opportunity for companies

that provide services to the oil sands industry. In
fact, a recent study by consultancy firm IHS CERA
found that oil sands production supported more
than 478,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs
in Canada, contributing $91 billion to Canadas
gross domestic product in 2012. By 2025, the study
forecasts that jobs from the oil sands will grow to
753,000 and the oil sands contribution to Canadas
GDP will be $171 billion.
Syncrudes success is certainly more than an
Alberta story, too. In 2012, the company produced
an average of 286,000 barrels per day and had
$7.9 billion in capital projects underway to improve
its operations and environmental performance.
Kearney and his project execution group are
responsible for the engineering and field execution
work on Syncrudes capital sustaining projects,
spending approximately $500 million annually on
about a dozen projects.
Not all of that work can be done by Alberta companies. Kearney says the scale of work required has
opened up opportunities for workers and companies
all over the country. These days there just isnt
enough local or even provincial people to do it all
at the required pace. That provides opportunity for
people right across the country. For the last several
years weve done recruiting across the country for
project managers, construction people and project
engineers, he says. Weve gone coast-to-coast for
the last three years trying to recruit people, and with
a lot of success.
In Quebec, for example, ADF Group Inc. has also
been awarded work in tailings management. The
company based just outside of Montreal supplied

and fabricated 3,400 tons of structural steel for the
construction of Syncrudes FFT-Centrifuge Full
Scale Plant. The plant is designed to pump fluid fine
tailings through a series of centrifuges to separate
water from the solids. Like Hike Metal in Ontario,
ADF Group hopes its contribution to the tailings
management project will lead to more business.
Anne McLellan views the oil sands industrys
growing economic importance from a particular
vantage point. Born in East Hants, Nova Scotia,
McLellan earned a law degree and worked as a
professor in Nova Scotia before moving to Alberta in
1980. From 1993 to 2006 she served as the member of
parliament for Edmonton Centre and had a number
of high-profile positions in the Liberal government,
including deputy prime minister and minister of
natural resources.
She says it wasnt clear in the early 1990s what the
future had in store for the oil sands. But she credits
Syncrude, and leaders like its former president
and CEO Eric Newell, for promoting its benefits
across the country, persuading others to invest in
developing the resource. Eric talked to dozens
of Chambers of Commerce across the country
to explain that this resource wasnt just about
Alberta, McLellan says. In the mid- and late 1990s,
Syncrude was a leader in every aspect of oil sands
extraction, and it understood it had to ensure the
benefits of extraction were shared.
That meant forming relationships and providing
business opportunities for First Nations and Mtis
people in the Wood Buffalo region where the oil
sands activity was taking place, but also elsewhere
STEEL MAKERS:
ADF Group of Montreal supplied and fabricated
3,400 tons of structural steel for the construction
of Syncrudes FFT-Centrifuge Full Scale Plant.
Your partner,
today and in the future
in the country. In 2012, $1.32 billion or 17 per
cent of Syncrudes total expenditures were spent
outside Alberta. Kearney, who hails from New
Waterford, a coal mining town on Cape Breton
Island, says he sees examples every time he visits
home of how Syncrude, and the oil sands sector, is
providing employment and opportunities for people
from his hometown.
When I moved out to Fort McMurray 25 years
ago, very few people in Nova Scotia knew about
it, Kearney says. Youre going where? theyd say.
They knew about Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton, but now you go back and every second person
knows someone who is commuting or who is living
in Fort McMurray.
Clearly, Syncrudes economic impact on Alberta
and Canada has come a long way since it the company was founded in 1964. Kearney says he feels good
about his role at Syncrude and how the company and
the sector he works in fits into Canadas economic
picture. I came here and got in on the ground floor
and its evolved into a company and an industry
thats providing huge opportunity and economic
activity across the country.
GIW Minerals has been helping Canada remove and

process oil sands bitumen for over 25 years. Today, the
GIW TBC is the most operated severe duty slurry pump
in the Canadian Oil Sands history.
And to meet the future needs of a growing Oil Sands
market, GIWs Fort McMurray REGEN Service Centre
is expanding. We now provide a larger and more efficient
area for inventory and repair, maintenance inspection,
system efficiency services, technical consultancy, training,
and retrofit services. REGEN repair and rebuild capabilities
include service technicians who assemble to OEM
specifications and standards. Increase your process
efficiencies by utilizing GIWs local experts on call to
diagnose problems and repair and refurbish parts both
on site and at our expanded facilities.
GIW Industries, Inc. (A KSB Company) www.giwindustries.com
on your 50th Anniversary
Proudly serving Syncrude Canada Ltd. since 1987
Safety First! 1805 days/650,033 hours without
a lost time incident on Syncrude Sites.
Toll Free 1-855-560-5050
www.ncsg.com
Recipient
of the 2014
Trade Contractor
of the Year Award
NEIGHBOURS
Fit for All Seasons

Firefighters and emergency response teams
are among the best in the business
BY Lyndsie Bourgon PHOTOGRAPHY BY John Gaucher
Theyre
looking at
things a little
bit differently
because
theyre trained
to do so.
Byron Stacey,
volunteer firefighter
panys safe-work practices should

be followed to the letter. The
companys four volunteer brigade
shift teams are made up of 16 men
and women who receive 160 hours
of training in rescue operations, and
50 who receive industrial firefighter
training. These 64 complement the
work of Syncrudes 48 full-time
fire specialists.
These, Stacey says, are the
fire halls safety ambassadors
throughout the company and
a key component in helping to
make Syncrudes operations a safe
workplace. If ever an emergency
occurs, its Staceys team that
responds followed, if necessary,
by the volunteer teams spread
throughout the operation.
from the mine, to the upgrader,

to the heavy-duty machine shop
and beyond. Stacey says that
their training, in addition to the
companys full-time fire specialist
team, comprised of EMRs and
EMTs, helps to make the company
a safer operation. Our hope
is that when theyre out there
working, he says of the volunteer
crew, theyre looking at things a
little bit differently because theyre
trained to do so.
He adds that his goal in training
new volunteers is to affect changes
at the peer-to-peer level out in
the field, where a volunteer brigade
member with fire or rescue training
will help his or her co-workers
understand exactly why the com-
BYRON STACEY
SYNCRUDE
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
at Syncrude have bragging rights
over the emergency rescue teams
of other oil sands operators and,
indeed, other fire departments
around the country. In 2013,
Syncrudes volunteer emergency
response team won first and third
place overall at the national FireFit championships in Edmonton.
Byron Stacey is more than a
little proud of his teams accomplishments, partly because he
was a volunteer brigade member
for Syncrude when he first joined
the company as an electricians
apprentice in 1988. After a decade
at the company, and a decade as
a volunteer on the rescue team,
Stacey applied for a full-time
position at the fire hall and started
as a fire specialist there in 1998. He
worked his way up the ladder, to
lieutenant, then to captain, then
emergency coordinator and now
hes deputy chief.
Its through the fire hall that
Stacey knows first-hand the
opportunities Syncrude provides
for forging new careers and accommodating personal goals. Not
only did Stacey become a ticketed
electrician while at Syncrude, but
through safety and rescue training
provided by the firehall, he also
completed his emergency medical
technician (EMT) training. In fact,
Syncrude provides first aid, fire
and rescue training for its entire
volunteer brigade, all of whom
are employed throughout the
companys operations.
As a result, there are dozens of
emergency responders with high
levels of safety training spread
throughout Syncrudes operations,
55
CORNERSTONE
NEIGHBOURS
56
CHRIS AUSTIN
Under Pressure
Keeping the lights on and the taps running
is an impressive part of the workday at an
industrial operation
BY Geoffrey Morgan PHOTOGRAPHY BY Roth and Ramberg
Even as
Syncrude
grows, adding
infrastructure
to manage its
tailings and
emissions,
it wants to
continue
being energy
self-sufficient.
Utilities Sustainment Project, that

looked into the future, Austin
says. In short, were going to need
more steam and were going to
need more electricity. As a result,
the companys utilities department
will add a fifth 75-MW gas-fired
generator to increase its total
electrical capacity and a new boiler
to add 750,000 pounds per hour of
steam. This plant will provide an
additional source of electricity to
help meet the increased demands
from new environmental facilities,
including centrifuging tailings,
while also helping to provide a
reliable supply for the overall
operation.
The Mildred Lake mine is
moving further away from the
upgrader and we have the Aurora
mine now sending us material.
Were moving things further and
that takes more energy, Austin
says. We also need to do environmental projects to bring our emissions down and treat tailings and
that all takes energy. Even as
Syncrude continues to grow,
adding additional infrastructure to
manage its tailings and emissions,
the company wants to continue
being energy self-sufficient.
Austin says that the ability of
utilities to produce the power
that Syncrude needs has an added
benefit to Syncrudes bottom line.
Being self-sufficient in power
production allows Syncrude to
keep producing in the event of
a power interruption. Without
on-site power production, many
systems would stop, and that is
not a good idea in the cold weather
that we experience here.
In fact, Syncrudes operations

are heavily integrated with utilities
in such a way that the company
wastes very little heat. The entire
operation is thermally integrated
so that heat and water are recycled,
not wasted. We take water out of
the tailings pond after the solids
have settled out and that water
cools the plant processes in the
upgrader, Austin says. It cools
the coker and it cools the diluent
recovery units and we recapture
that heat. Once that heat is
recaptured, utilities then turns
the heat up to about 95C and
we supply a large amount of that
water to extraction.
The utilities department is the
unsung hero of any industrial
operation. Its work isnt always
visible, but its critical to the
companys continued operations.
Without air compressors, the
valves dont move, Austin says.
Without water, theres no oil.
Syncrudes utilities infrastructure is large enough to rival
that of a Canadian city. Unlike
most cities, however, all of the
companys utilities systems would
continue to operate even if
Syncrude were disconnected from
the province-wide power grid.
Austin says that utilities is capable
of producing 500 megawatts of
power, but that as new projects
come online, like the companys
$1.9-billion commercial-scale Fluid
Fine Tailings Centrifuge Plant for
tailings management, the size of
its gas-fired electrical generation
will need to grow.
There was a study and an evaluation, which was the Syncrude
SYNCRUDE
IT WOULD TAKE THREE DAYS

to fill a 16-by-32-foot swimming
pool with a garden hose. Syncrude
Canada Ltd.s utilities department
processes that much water from
the Mildred lake reservoir, roughly
20,000 gallons, every minute. It
takes approximately 400 people
in the utilities organization to
produce this and other commodities required by Syncrude.
On its own that number might
be impressive. However, the utilities
team at Syncrude is also capable of
demineralizing 10,000 gallons of
water every minute, recirculating
approximately 400,000 gallons
per minute through the upgraders
cooling systems, and recycling a
further 100,000 gallons per minute
used in the extraction process. The
sheer volume of water that moves
throughout Syncrudes operation
on utilities advisor Chris Austins
watch is staggering, though most of
what the utilities department does
is hidden from view.
Except for the piping systems
connecting the companys buildings and connecting different parts
of the companys upgrader, there
is little evidence of the utilities
departments hard work. Weve got
thousands and thousands of feet of
steam lines, water lines, air lines,
nitrogen lines and sulphur lines,
Austin says. These lines are the
visible reminder that the utilities
department produces 7.5 million
pounds of steam per hour, 15,000
cubic metres of nitrogen a day and
18,000 cubic feet of air to keep the
valves in the companys upgrader
opening and closing properly, and
to keep the entire operation heated.
57
K14029 2014. KBR. All Rights Reserved.
PROUD TO
SUPPORT
SYNCRUDE
For more than 30 years, KBR has had the
privilege of working side-by-side with
Syncrude, providing field construction
and module and fabrication services
for some of its largest and most demanding
oil sands projects. We are pleased to
salute Syncrude on its golden anniversary
and look forward to many more years of
successful collaboration.
50
Serving the Oil and Gas, Oil Sands, Petrochemical, Mining, Pulp & Paper Industries Since 1951
www.kbr.com
We Deliver
NEIGHBOURS
Smooth Landing
To spend more time with his family, longtime
pilot John Farrington switched careers and
learned to drive a heavy-haul truck
BY Lyndsie Bourgon PHOTOGRAPHY BY Roth and Ramberg
I wanted a
change that
would put
me where the
action was, out
at the mine.
John Farrington,
still great at the controls
smooth. In fact, he noticed a key

of similarity between his careers
two divergent paths at Syncrude:
safety. The safety culture,
the attention to detail, it goes
hand-in-hand with the culture I
grew up in and my career. I was
surprised, in a sense, about how
easily that translated.
Easy translation is something the
Farrington family has noticed since
moving to the city eight years ago,
when everything they needed
including a French immersion
school for their kids was available
to them. One thing thats been
consistent is the great people,
whether in aviation or the mine,
Farrington says. The transition
has been very smooth.
The switch from one job

to another was smooth for
Farrington he was approved to
take a one-week job shadow, and
he rode around in a heavy hauler
with an operator who showed
him the ropes. I thought, this is
something Id like to do. So he
switched over to working at the
mine, and in doing so found a
new job that he likes, which has
also balanced out his home life.
My wife says, Oh, its the first
time weve had a weekday dinner
together since forever! he says.
At this time in our life, it was a
good move.
Farrington found the transition
from working in the air to working on ground to be surprisingly
JOHN FARRINGTON
SYNCRUDE
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE,

John Farrington flew for an
airline in northern Ontario its
where he and his wife, also a
pilot, started their family before
moving out to Fort McMurray to
embark on careers at Syncrude
Canada Ltd. in 2006.
The switch to Fort McMurray
meant a slower lifestyle for John and
his wife. Syncrude provided them
with a family-friendly workplace
and schedule; while their kids were
young, the Farringtons would work
the same shift, while employing a
live-in nanny, so they could be at
home together with their family.
Youre home every night, says
Farrington, of the benefits to flying
for a company like Syncrude. They
were so accommodating when
the kids were little; its part of why
we moved here. Flying planes for
Syncrude meant bringing company
employees back and forth between
Fort McMurray, Edmonton and
Calgary Farrington kept that job
for eight years, rounding out two
decades of full-time work as a pilot.
If youre doing the same thing
for 20 years, youre kind of looking
for a change, Farrington acknowledges. As his children started
growing up, he and his wife had
decided to work opposite shifts,
so that one of them was always
home. A change came in the fall of
2013, when he visited his boss and
said he was contemplating a move
within the company. They were
very good at moving me over to a
different field, says Farrington,
who now drives a heavy haul truck
in the mine. I wanted a change
that would put me where the
action was, out at the mine.
59
MILESTONES
60
The Early Years

SYNCRUDE STARTED IN A
laboratory and remains a leader
in innovation in the oil sands.
Even before Syncrude produced
its first barrel of oil, its scientists
were researching the best way
to produce crude from oil sands
while reducing its impact on the
environment.
1964: Syncrude incorporates

with Frank Spragins as its president and the fledging organization moves into its new research
laboratory, a former oxygen plant,
in east Edmonton
1965: The company takes over
operation of the Mildred Lake
project, which was operating as a
35-tonne-per-hour pilot plant and
research facility
1969: Syncrude receives approval

to build an 80,000-barrel-per-day
oil sands production facility to
start operations after 1976
CORNERSTONE
1978: The first barrel of company

oil flows into a pipeline in July as
research focuses on efficient plant
production
60
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MANUFACTURING
E CELLENCE
Time
BY Richelle Wiseman
SYNCRUDE
Heavy equipment operators dig for

more than oil sands. Some have
unearthed ancient fossils
Reversing
63
More than
100 million
years ago,
ancient
rivers fed
the Western
Interior
Seaway,
covering
dead marine
animals
with silt.
Buried Treasure
A timeline of significant fossil discoveries at Syncrude
April 1, 1992
April 1994
CORNERSTONE
Operator Willie Brevant discovers

an ichthyosaur (Platypterygius).
Meaning fish lizard, ichthyosaurs
first appeared in the Triassic.
A replica fossil is currently on
display at the Oil Sands Discovery
Centre in Fort McMurray.
64
Operator Greg Fisher discovers a

well preserved new genus of shortnecked plesiosaur, a carnivorous
marine reptile that lived in the Boreal
sea. It is the oldest and one of the
most complete Cretaceous plesiosaurs found in North America. It is
named Nichollssaura borealis
for Dr. Elizabeth Nicholls, thencurator of marine reptiles at the Royal
Tyrrell. The specimen is 2.5 metres
long, and its slender interlocking
teeth, along with fossil fish found

in its stomach, prove that its diet
consisted of fish, ammonites and
other invertebrates.
September 10, 1996

Operator Robert Serfas
discovers a long-necked
plesiosaur.
February 9, 1998

discovers another long-necked
plesiosaur. Preparator Jason
Kickens uncovers a wellpreserved shoulder girdle from
the large specimen and its
massive forelimbs.
October 1, 1999

discovers a well-preserved
long-necked plesiosaur.
Operator Owen Staudinger

discovers a plesiosaur.
June 22, 1995
SYNCRUDE
ANDIGNIM INCIL DOLOR SECTETUM:

Veliquat adionsed modio delendi psusto odolutatum
FOSSIL FUEL: Artists rendering con erosto
sectet venim quiscil illaor aliquat lortionseof a long-necked
plesiosaur like sectet venim quiscil illaor aliquat.
quam, vel ipit eugiam, the ones discovered by equipment
operators at Syncrude.
HEN THE MASSIVE, 100-TONNE

scoop of his shovel dug into
the dirt and clay overburden
above the oil sands in 1996,
Syncrude operator Robert Serfas
spotted something unusual:
what looked like a long spine
curved along the grey rock. It was September 10, and
Serfas had accidentally unearthed the remains of a
plesiosaur elasmosaur, a marine animal that died
110 million years ago in the great inland sea that
covered half of North America. His discovery was
just the first of five large fossil finds he made during
his career as an operator at Syncrude.
I thought it was exciting to find something that
old, Serfas says. And your name stays with the
fossil. Serfas is listed as the discoverer for each of
the five fossils he found, which is an honour many
paleontologists never achieve in their careers.
During the past two decades, oil sands operators
have uncovered the fossil remains of marine reptiles
and animals that date back to the Early Cretaceous
period. The term fossil fuel aptly applies to the
bitumen being extracted from the oil sands, given
that the formation is comprised of decomposed
plant life, marine animals and dinosaurs. No
land-based dinosaurs have been found at the
Syncrude mine, but crew members have unearthed
many marine fossils, including small trace fossils
of invertebrate bivalves, ammonites and clams.
The larger, more significant finds have been of two
vertebrate marine animals: the plesiosaur and the
ichthyosaur.
These fossils give us a glimpse into the diversity
of these animals on the same horizon, and it has
given us the ability to look at them in a whole
new way, says John-Paul Zonneveld, professor of
geology, and a paleoecologist at the University of
Alberta. It is rare to find large concentrations of
marine animals in one spot. To date, the remains
of 11 ancient animals have been discovered at Syncrudes operations, and thanks to diligent operators
65
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FAST FACT:
Albertas oil sands lie

under 142,000 square
kilometres of land.
Only about three per
cent (4,800 square
kilometres) of that land
could ever be impacted
by the mining method of
extracting the oil sands.
Source: CAPP
HEAD CASE:
A fossilized plesiosaur skull preserved
at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller.

discovers a long-necked
plesiosaur.
January 17, 2000
Operator Gary Middlebrook

discovers a plesiosaur.
May 11, 2000
Operator Robert Serfas discovers a complete ichthyosaur

(Athabascasaurus bitumeneus),
which is now on display at
the Royal Tyrrell Museum of
Paleontology.
November 14, 2011

Operator Maggy Horvath
discovers a nearly complete
long-necked plesiosaur.
May 11, 2012
Operator Jason Young

discovers a plesiosaur
(elasmosaur).
January 8, 2000
MORE THAN 100 MILLION YEARS AGO, ANCIENT

rivers fed the Western Interior Seaway, flowing into
the seabed and covering dead marine animals with
enough silt to preserve them for millions of years.
Now operators at Syncrudes Mildred Lake and
Aurora mines are clearing away parts of that seabed,
known as the Clearwater Formation, to reach and
extract bitumen, all the while keeping an eye out
for fossils.
In fossils from the Clearwater Formation,
the bone is not actually solidified, says Dr. Don
Henderson, a curator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum
of Paleontology. The bodies are encased in rock,
and as the body decays, the bone minerals dissolve

away. New rock forms with sea water and the seabed
growing around the carcass, and the super strong
coffin allows the specimen to survive being struck
by a heavy shovel.
In fact, many of the fossils discovered at the
Syncrude mine have been unearthed in remarkable condition. After the first fossil discovery at
Syncrude in 1992, when an ichthyosaur was found
by operator Willie Brevant, Syncrude developed a
fossil-find protocol. In the event one of our shovel
operators discovers what they believe is a fossil, we
cordon off the area until one of our folks can come
out and take a better look, says Lorne Shearing,
manager, Mildred Lake mining. If it does look like
it is a fossil, we contact the Tyrrell and they bring
some folks up here to investigate further.
SYNCRUDE
like Serfas, Willie Brevant and Maggy Horvath,

those discoveries have helped paleontologists better
understand what ancient life in Alberta was like.
67
Syncrude uses
MAXBOLT
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Davis Congratulates Syncrude on its

50th Anniversary
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Untitled-2 1
3/06/2014 1:50:54 PM
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Proud of the
company we keep
At Fluor, we measure our success in long term relationships,
repeat clients and continuously adding value to our clients
business models. We look at our long term Syncrude relationship
with a balance of humility, appreciation and pride. Thank you
for your trust in us as we support your vision of securing Canadas
energy future.
KMC Mining, proud to be a

partner in your achievements.
We look forward to a strong
future together.
Congratulations on 50 years Syncrude.
www.fluor.com
2014 Fluor Corporation.
ADCA104514
www.kmcmining.com
ROBERT SERFAS
MAGGY HORVATH
Syncrude trains its shovel operators to know

what to look for, and to immediately stop digging
when they encounter a fossil. A Syncrude geologist
is notified and the area is cordoned off and all
equipment is moved outside a 20-metre radius of
the find. The geologist contacts paleontologists at
the Royal Tyrrell, sending GPS information and
digital photos to assess the fossil. Once the paleontologists arrive at the mine, they can determine the
fossils position and angle, and provide instructions
to the shovel operator on how the piece of rock
needs to be lifted out. Most fossil finds take five to
seven days to extract carefully for transport. They
are placed on a large flatbed truck, still encased in
several tonnes of rock, and taken to Drumheller.
Syncrude provides the resources to safely extract
the fossil.
Even sitting eight or nine metres above the
ground and running an enormous shovel, Serfas
could distinguish the fossils from the surrounding
dirt and material.
I found it was easy to see because the material I
was digging was grey, and the bones were a chocolate brown that stood out, he says, describing the
first plesiosaur he found in 1996. It was exciting,
and I wanted to preserve what I found, even though
I didnt know exactly what it was. Then I found out

the fossil was 110 million years old.
Serfas found four plesiosaurs and one rare
ichthyosaur during his 18 years at Syncrude. The
company, in turn, showed its appreciation for
Serfass hard work. What makes these discoveries
even more impressive is the fact that you were able
to recognize the small bones for what they were
while mining with such large equipment, Syncrude
wrote to Serfas in a 1999 letter. Your efforts in
saving these rare and valuable artifacts are evidence
of your commitment to excellence.
Serfas wasnt the first Syncrude employee to
unearth a dinosaur in a mine, and he certainly
wasnt the last. On a cold day in November 2011,
operator Maggy Horvath spotted what turned out
to be a nearly complete long-necked plesiosaur.
It felt pretty good to call my son and let him
know I found a prehistoric fossil while working
in the mine, she said in a 2011 interview. As
operators, we always keep our eyes out for a find
like this. A team of paleontologists from the
Royal Tyrrell was able to excavate that fossil.
Over the years, we have had an excellent
relationship with the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and
here at Syncrude, we are helping them to preserve
It was exciting,
and I wanted to
preserve what
I found, even
though I didnt
know exactly
what it was.
Then I found
out the fossil
was 110 million
years old.
Robert Serfas,
Syncrude operator
Congratulations on your golden anniversary!

At Waiward, were passionate about the projects we get to be part of,
and passionate about the outstanding companies we get to partner with.
Syncrude is no exception.
For the past 20 years, weve been fortunate enough to work with
Syncrude on a number of projects, and each one serves as a reminder of
the greatness and the history that Syncrude brings to our communities.
Congratulations on achieving this golden milestone.
Wishing you all the best for your next 50 years.
Steel fabrication /// conStruction /// waiward.com
Your World. Our Passion.
In the
event one of
our shovel
operators
discovers what
they believe
is a fossil, we
cordon off the
area until one
of our folks can
come out and
take a better
look.
Lorne Shearing,
manager, Mildred Lake
Mining
ANDIGNIM INCIL DOLOR SECTETUM:

Veliquat adionsed modio delendi psusto odolutatum
sectet venim quiscil illaor aliquat lortionse con erosto
quam, vel ipit eugiam, sectet venim quiscil illaor aliquat.
Congratulations Syncrude on 50 years!
DEEP SEA DISCOVERY: A dolphin-like ichthyosaur

similar to the one discovered by a Syncrude operator.
the fossils as we discover them, says Shearing.

There are good people on the ground there,
Henderson says. The geologists and operators love
these finds. They are amazed these things were
hiding in the rocks, and they go out of their way
to help us.
In 2001, Syncrude funded the two-year Syncrude
Marine Reptile Project at the University of Calgary,
providing salaries for then-paleontology PhD
student Patrick Druckenmiller and fossil preparator
Jason Hickens, to assist the Royal Tyrrell Museum
in preparing the Syncrude specimens for display.
My job was to look at nine skeletons, which had
been found in the previous 10 years at the Syncrude
mine, says Druckenmiller, who is now the curator
of Earth Sciences at the Museum of the North,
University of Alaska. I described the skeletons,
carefully wrote about the anatomical details, and
researched whether these were the same species as
those found elsewhere.
Some of the Syncrude fossils were new species,
which Druckenmiller got to name, including an
ichthyosaur that Serfas found in 2000, which had
large eyes and resembled a large dolphin: It was a
new ichthyosaur that I named the Athabascasaurus
bitumeneus, says Druckenmiller. We had to deal
with the fact that the bones were oozing bitumen.

The fossil specimen arrived at the Tyrrell encased
in 10 tonnes of rock. Paleontologists chipped it out
in the parking lot of the museum.
Then they surrounded it with a plaster and
wood cradle to bring into the museum with a large
forklift. The ichthyosaur is currently on display at
the Royal Tyrrell, and bitumen continues to ooze
slowly from this fossils tail.
There are big gaps in the fossil record, Druckenmiller says. Thanks to the finds at Syncrude,
paleontologists have learned about new marine
reptile species, and more about how those animals
were related to earlier forms. The Syncrude fossils
are helping to fill in gaps in time for these two
animals, the plesiosaur and ichthyosaur, and we are
getting a better picture of that window, around 110
million BC. We could have lost a lot of significant
material had it not been for Syncrude.
This has been a spectacular contribution to this
area of paleontology, says Zonneveld. We scientists
appreciate the fact that Syncrude will shift its
operations when one of these specimens is found. As
plans stretch into the future, paleontologists believe
more significant fossil finds will occur at Syncrude,
and the company is prepared to unearth them.
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th
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72
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM:

More than just a photo opportunity, the Wood Bison
that graze on land reclaimed by Syncrude are part of a
genetic preservation effort.
HOME
The Beaver Creek bison
herd has grown from 30
to 300 in two decades of
Syncrude stewardship
SYNCRUDE
RAD RAMSTEAD KNOWS THERES

an undeniable hierarchy in the
wood bison world. Any herd of the
threatened species, be it small or
large, has a pecking order, with each
and every one of the grand animals
knowing its place and status. Stepping out of line can lead to aggression: a youthful
bull might be overwhelmed by his more mature
herd mates, or a high-ranking, aging male could
be overthrown by his younger, more ambitious
competitors. This is all part of how bison operate
and maintain the power of the herd.
In his 20 years working at the Beaver Creek Wood
Bison Ranch, located about 50 kilometres north
of Fort McMurray, Ramstead has witnessed this
sometimes harsh behaviour firsthand. But hes also
witnessed things that amaze him. Back in 2010, a
female bison gave birth to a set of twins at the ranch
and Ramstead was genuinely surprised. Bison twins
are incredibly rare, and its even more unlikely for
the mother to accept both of the calves.
BY David DiCenzo
73
LOOKING OVER THE HERD:

Fort McKay Group of Companies Brad Ramstead
has watched the Beaver Creek bison herd grow,
and thrive, over the years.
What usually happens is the mother will have

that first calf, but still be in labour, says Ramstead, a
50-year-old native Albertan from Claresholm. If that
first calf cant stay close, the mother might not even
know she had that first one. She then will imprint
on the second calf born and not really pay attention
to the first.
And yet, the opposite happened. When we went
to check on them, both calves were up and dry. She
had cleaned them and was nursing them. It was
good, because we had seen failure in situations like
that before. The twins, named Kisik (the Cree word
for sky) and Tu (the Dene word for water), are a great
memory for Ramstead, a senior reclamation scientist
with the Fort McKay Group of Companies.
Ramstead began doing reclamation work for
Syncrude in 1991. In 1993, he was part of the team
that helped create what has become the award-winning Beaver Creek Wood Bison Ranch. For 20 years,
Ramstead and his colleagues at the ranch have
worked to reintroduce bison to reclaimed land. The
ranch is a joint venture between Syncrude and the
Fort McKay First Nation, who are working to manage
the ranch and maintain the herd, which started with
just 30 wood bison from Elk Island National Park.
The goal is to use reclaimed land in a bid to replenish
the population of a threatened animal.
RENEWING THE LANDS ABILITY TO PROVIDE
habitat for large animals was a critical component
of Syncrudes mission to reclaim areas impacted

by its operations and the bison needed a healthy,
safe place where their numbers could grow and the
herd could thrive. But building Beaver Creek Wood
Bison Ranch was also important for the Fort McKay
First Nation. The bison is often a symbol of strength
within First Nation communities, and the animal
itself was historical lifeblood, providing food,
shelter and tools for thousands of years.
When settlers from Europe came in search of
land, bison populations were depleted in massive
numbers. According to the Canadian Bison
Association, there were approximately 60 million
bison in North America in 1800, and that number is
believed to have plummeted to just 1,000 a century
later. Environment Canada estimates that there are
about 8,000 remaining wood bison in the country.
These bison are back in their ancestral land,
says Ramstead. Nursing the bison population back
to health symbolizes an important part of rekindling First Nations culture in Canada. With the
bison returned to their natural range on a healthy
patch of land, the relationship between Syncrude
and the Fort McKay First Nation has strengthened.
The ranch offers employment opportunities for
nearby residents, including the construction and
maintenance of fences surrounding the bisons
spacious pasture.
Jack Torchy Peden, a cattle rancher and former
mine maintenance manager for Syncrude, calls the
The ranch is a
joint venture
between
Syncrude
and the Fort
McKay First
Nation, who
are working to
manage and
maintain the
herd.
CONGRATULATIONS
for
50 YEARS
of Securing
Canadas Energy Future
When Billboard Direct reflects on the achievements Syncrude Canada
has accomplished over the last 50 years,
it is definitely a milestone worth celebrating!
Billboard Direct wishes Syncrude continued success and prosperity.

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Brad Ramstead,
Syncrude, reclamations
THE WORK AT BEAVER CREEK VARIES FROM DAY

to day and season to season. New animals are
brought in and tagged every fall, the fences require
constant checking and calves need to be monitored.
Two full-time employees in the field, Shane
Baptiste and Chris Erdbecker, help Ramstead with
daily duties.
Keeping a commercial herd healthy is a difficult
task for any rancher, but the Beaver Creek operation
runs up against misconceptions about the health
of the bison given their proximity to an oil sands
operation. We test these animals and prove that
they are healthy and disease-free, Ramstead says.
The herd has been closely studied by outside researchers who are fascinated with it. Dr. Roy Lewis
is one of them. A practising veterinarian since 1981,
Dr. Lewis joined the board of the Bison Producers of
Alberta back in 2009 and runs his own small herd
of 30 bison in Westlock. He has been treating the
Beaver Creek herd for 17 years, and is impressed.
I go up there for the big roundup in the fall, Dr.
Lewis says. We identify the bison, check them over
and administer shots and dewormer. They are a
healthy bison that breed very well.
Representatives of the University of Calgary and
the Calgary Zoo also have a history of working
with the herd. Doug Whiteside of the Calgary Zoo
Animal Health Centre has worked on a research
project that aims to develop test tube embryos, in
the hope of breeding disease-free bison.
The Beaver Creek herd is also an important part
of the genetic preservation effort of the wood bison
species. We have done semen tests on bulls to show
the seasonal fluctuations and the viability of their
SYNCRUDE
venture one of the best things Syncrude ever did.

When a celebration was held for the ranchs 20th
anniversary in 2013, Peden said, We were excited
about everything, anything to help conservation.
Youre raising bison on reclaimed land in their
natural historic range.
In the early days of the ranch, 15 bulls and 15 cows
(six of them mature) roamed 25 hectares of land,
with the first calf born in the spring of 1993. The
pasture continued to develop, growing to its current
size of about 450 hectares, and the herd has since
swelled to 300 healthy head. That number is close to
capacity, considering the size of the grazing area.
Ramstead remembers the buzz that first began
around the herd. Once the land was available and
the herd had begun to increase in size, Ramstead
says it was amazing to see bison grazing on
reclaimed areas. It became apparent that that the
work and the program was a major part of the
Syncrude success story. And being located in the
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, he says,
the symbol and the logo of the wood bison became
meaningful.
With my background in biology, working with
this herd and understanding their dynamics has
been inspirational, says Ramstead. And doing
this at the oil sands was a heck of a lot different
for me than what everyone else up here was doing.
Its been a challenge, and we have worked hard to
showcase what we have accomplished. Its been
made possible by working with the staff I have had
over the years at Syncrude and at Fort McKay, while
also meeting with and learning from so many other
bison producers.
These bison
are back on
their ancestral
land.
77
The Beaver
Creek herd
is also an
important part
of the genetic
preservation
of the wood
bison species.
FAST FACT:
Oil producers recycle

80 to 95 per cent of the
water that they use.
CORNERSTONE
Source: AESRD
78
sperm at certain times of year, Ramstead says. The

semen collected from pure wood bison bulls has
been cryogenically frozen. Ramstead says that these
straws could be frozen for 25 years and later used for
in-vitro fertilization of a female if required. Beyond
that, species recovery efforts have been bolstered
through the sale of more than 1,400 head from the
Syncrude herd as breeding stock across Canada.
Wood bison are on the threatened species list
and in the event of a massive die-off in the park
system, we would still have genetic material from
bulls sitting in what was at one time referred to as
the endangered species bank, he says.
Research conducted on the Beaver Creek herd is
all linked through the goal of helping the bison remain healthy and continue to reproduce. Ramstead
says that the team genetically matches each calf to
its mother and sire every season. It collects a blood
sample from each calf tagged in the fall and sends it
to a lab that keeps track of the DNA of every animal

on the ranch. Its valuable information.
When we range breed or have a possibility of
multi-sires, we can see what bull is dominating
the gene pool, Ramstead says. Its not always the
ones that you think, and some bulls are extremely
competitive during the breeding season. We have
had upwards of 35 calves sired by one bull while
competing for the breeding rights of 70 to 90 cows,
with eight to 10 other bulls. We have discovered
some neat stuff doing this, he says. We have the
ability to limit the amount certain bulls breed and
we can see what bulls, with certain cows, turn out
the best calves.
OVER 20 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE
original herd of 30 was transplanted from Elk
Island National Park to the reclaimed land
north of Fort McMurray. It took a while for the
Creating career opportunities

for Indigenous youth
Syncrudes support inspires
thousands of students to dream
big and pursue fulfilling careers.
Thank you and congratulations
on 50 years!
indspire.ca
A Really Big 5-0

Developing the oil sands has taken big thinking. No one
herd to adapt to the new territory

but, since then, it has grown in
numbers and thrived.
Though Ramstead is quick to
point out that he runs a ranch
and not a zoo, he has developed
a bond with the animals, which
is why the story of the twins is
one that resonates most with
him. He cares about his stock
and will do anything to protect
them. It gets to become more
of a lifestyle and love than just
a job, he says. Its rewarding
going to work each day, with
a chance to learn something new
about such a majestic animal
that has been such an important
part of our history.
thinks bigger than Syncrude.

Congratulations to Syncrude on their 50th anniversary.
From CEDA, suppliers of chemical cleaning, pressure
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(Photos courtesy of Syncrude Canada Ltd.)
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NEIGHBOURS
LARRY MOSENG
Safety Culture
Multiple generations of the Moseng
family apply their military training to
instill a mindset of safer behaviour
CORNERSTONE
80
DEANNA MOSENG IS THE

kind of person who wears earplugs when she mows the lawn at
home. At work, Syncrudes safety,
health and environment area
leader can wax on for 10 minutes
in presentations about the proper
way to fit them in an ear.
When it comes to safety,
Deanna has a passion for and
commitment to her work. Part of
the commitment, and discipline,
comes from her eight years of experience in the

military. Safety in the military is obviously a huge
thing, so its something that I brought to all the jobs
that Ive done, she says.
When she was just 19, Deanna sailed on the HMCS
Protector through the Persian Gulf. She worked in
emergency response on board, responding to fires,
floods and rescue operations. And while she spent
a few more years on boats along Canadas east and
west coasts, she eventually moved inland, taking
a job in early 2001 working in Fort McMurray at
Syncrude Canada Ltd., where her safety training set
Were
developing
a behaviourbased side to
safety with our
personnel,
lowering their
risk tolerance.
Deanna Moseng,
Syncrude safety, health
and environment leader
on, Larry says. Hopefully I can

influence people. You can learn
about equipment and technology,
but it doesnt keep you safe.
Im passionate about incident
prevention. Larry uses teaching
methods that prize real-life
scenarios. Its all about knowing
when things are going right, when
theyre going wrong and how to
prevent mistakes.
Even Deanna admits that her
knowledge about safety makes
her nervous at times. Its very
personal, she says. Im here to
make sure you go home at the end
of the day. Thats all I want for
people. Her goal is to make sure
that Syncrudes employees dont
leave their safety training at the
gate when they clock out.
behaviour-based side to safety

with our personnel, lowering their
risk tolerance. This is stuff that
applies to life.
The Mosengs are far from the
only Fort McMurray residents to
have multiple family members
working at Syncrude. Larry,
Deannas father-in-law, freely
admits that his wife is often
worried about the fact that her
children and husband work in a
risk-filled environment. Because
my familys in the business, I do
care, he says. When my son
was in the field, and there was an
incident, I was keeping my ear to
the phone and making sure he
was OK.
Its the culmination of a career,
to pass that safety knowledge
DEANNA MOSENG
SYNCRUDE
the stage for what has become

a rewarding career. She started
with the company in operations
and slowly began taking on safety
positions during maintenance
turnarounds a few times per year,
until she eventually transitioned
into her current position.
Much of the passion Deanna
has for her work is personal. She
is just one member of her family
working at Syncrude, which
makes safety in the workplace
more than just her job it follows
her home at the end of the day.
Her husband, Travis, also works
at Syncrude, as does her sisterin-law. Her father-in-law, Larry,
spent much of his career with
Syncrude after leaving the military himself, and has returned to
do field safety training now that
hes in retirement. The Moseng
family brings a multi-generational
approach, with military-style
discipline, to maintaining a
culture at Syncrude that focuses
on safety.
Both Deanna and Larry say
they have enjoyed the freedom to
forge several different careers all
under the Syncrude umbrella. Its
kind of like the military, with lots
of training, Deanna says. She has
also continued her education with
additional training, supported by
Syncrude, outside of work hours.
Its nice to expand your horizons
and stay with one company. I
moved forward in a career that I
truly wanted without needing to
look somewhere else to find it.
Deana often uses her husband,
Travis, as a case study in her
training exercises because he
spends a lot of time outdoors in
his work and participating in
high-risk activities after work,
like dirt-biking and jet skiing.
Hes very safety-conscious,
Deanna says, and wears all the
proper gear. When he goes out
on his bike, he makes sure his
iPhone finder is on, in case he
gets lost or injured. We have
some pretty interesting conversations at home, Deanna says.
If she accomplishes anything,
Deanna hopes its working
towards developing good
safety behaviour, instead of simply
helping her co-workers react to
incidents. Were developing a
81
MILESTONES
80
The 1980s
SYNCRUDE TACKLED A SEVERE
recession in the early 1980s by
focusing on growth through
capacity addition. New projects
provided work to employees at a
time when other companies were
scaling back. The company placed
a new focus on increasing production by seeking new and creative
ways to get more oil sand to the
extraction plant.
1982: Just four years after
producing its first barrel of
oil, Syncrude sends its 100
millionth barrel down the
pipeline in July 1982
1983: Syncrude announces the

$1.2 billion Capacity Addition
Project (CAP) to increase its
production from 109,000
to 150,000 bpd
1985: Syncrude produces its
200 millionth barrel of oil
CORNERSTONE
1988: The Capacity Addition

Project is completed on time
and under budget
82
CORNERSTONE
NEIGHBOURS
84
LEE BARBOUR
Reclamation Rockstar
Syncrude funding helps a University of Saskatchewan
researcher better understand watersheds
BY Ashleigh Mattern PHOTOGRAPHY BY John Gaucher
Water is the
foundation of
any reclaimed
sites success,
and Barbours
work will create
tools that track
the evolution
of these landscapes.
ments like wetlands something

that Syncrude recently initiated
with its reclaimed Fen Watershed.
These recreated wetlands will
receive water from adjacent closure
landforms, and consequently the
volume, source and chemistry
of these waters is foundational
to understanding the long-term
performance and viability of these
wetlands, says Barbour.
In order to estimate the
magnitude of these chemicals
to the receiving environment, it
is critical to be able to quantify
the rate and pathway of water
movement through the closure
landscapes, Barbour explains. If
the researchers could find a way to
estimate the amount of chemical
load that comes out of reconstructed uplands and ends up in adjacent
wetlands, streams or ponds,
companies like Syncrude could
use the information to design and
position landforms to minimize
impact on the wetlands that are
the recipients of this water.
While Barbours research is
particularly concerned with oil
sands mining, the tools he and his
team are developing with assistance from Syncrude could be used
for a wider variety of purposes.
Whether creating a well supply
for a small town or a farm, studying the effects of climate change or
siting an industrial facility over a
groundwater source, knowing how
much water is moving through the
system is imperative. Barbour is
about 18 months into the five-year
research window, and some of the
students who were initially working with him are already wrapping
up their programs and moving into
the publication stage.
and Syncrude for a project to

identify tools that measure the path
and rate that water flows through
these reconstructed landforms.
Water is the foundation of any reclaimed sites success, and Barbours
work will create tools that track
the evolution of these landscapes
over time, ideally helping the
industry mitigate the impact of this
groundwater from carrying salts
into wetlands, streams or rivers.
Barbour has worked with
Syncrude since 1998, studying
water balances, reclamation covers
and how water affects plant life
on reclaimed spaces. But this new
research takes an extended view,
monitoring what happens on a
reclaimed space after the initial
reclamation of the landscape has
been completed.
Once youve accomplished that
first phase, what chemical loadings
might you expect from these
landforms in the long term? says
Barbour. Itll give us the ability to
understand more about the time
scales for the evolution of these
landscapes.
Barbours early research
with Syncrude focused on how
reclamation covers could be used
to optimize the water available for
re-vegetation on reclaimed land.
That research led to an interest in
where the water not used by plants
ended up. So often research is incremental, Barbour says. We build
on other peoples work, and even
some of our own former work, and
we try to advance it another step,
and find a way to apply it to a new
problem. Were always standing on
the shoulders of somebody.
Barbours research is tied to
projects that recreate environ-
SYNCRUDE
RIGHT NOW, GROUNDWATER

on reclaimed landscapes around
oil sands operations flows back
into end pit lakes or manufactured
wetlands, while scientists aim to
learn more about its impacts.
To that end, Dr. Lee Barbour
is on a mission; studying how
water flows through reclaimed
landscapes, the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) of Canada and Syncrude
Canada Ltd. industrial research
chair wants to develop tools that
would help Syncrude design and
implement more environmentally
responsible reclaimed landscapes.
Part of the challenge lies in
the fact that the oil sands region
was once an ancient inland sea;
while the seawater is long gone,
its salt has remained. The soil
releases this salt when the earthen
cover overlying oil sands deposits
(overburden) is disturbed. There is
a risk that any freshwater entering
these deposits, such as rain or snow
melt, could carry the salt out to the
surrounding systems. The release
of these salts could disrupt natural
ecosystems and have a damaging
impact on the surrounding
environment exactly the opposite
of what reclamation efforts intend
to do. The challenge for industry is
to design closure landscapes that
release large volumes of freshwater.
The ability to track and ultimately
predict water movement and contaminant levels throughout these
landforms would provide a stronger
foundation for the design and
building of these final landscapes.
In 2012, Barbour, a professor of
civil and geological engineering at
the University of Saskatchewan,
received $2.6 million from NSERC
85
MILESTONES
90
The 1990s
THE 1990S SAW SYNCRUDE
change the way it mined oil sand,
and developed a new technology
to remotely mine and extract
bitumen from ore. The National
Oil Sands Task Force, headed by
Syncrude CEO Eric Newell, led
to new royalty and tax terms for
the industry, leading to rapid
expansion.
1992: Syncrude plants its one
millionth tree on reclaimed land
1993: The company partners

with the Fort McKay First Nation
to introduce 30 wood bison from
Elk Island National Park to new
habitat located on a section of
reclaimed oil sands land, a project
that has turned into the Beaver
Creek Wood Bison Ranch
1994: Syncrude publishes its

first Aboriginal Review, a new
way of communicating with the
First Nations communities in the
Wood Buffalo region. The annual
report, now called Pathways,
remains the only such publication
of its kind in Canada
1994: The new Syncrude
Research Centre opens in the
Edmonton Research Park
CORNERSTONE
1995: The Wood Bison Trail and

Matcheetawin Discovery Trail
open on reclaimed Syncrude land,
complete with a pair of enormous
Wood Bison sculptures
86
1996: A Canadian patent is

granted to Syncrude for hydrotransport, a technology that
allows conditioned mined oil
sand to be shipped by pipeline
to Mildred Lake for processing
and opens up the ability for
remote mines
1996: CEO Eric Newell signs
the Declaration of Opportunity
with other industry developers as
well as the federal and provincial

governments, helping to usher in
an era of increased investment and
development for the oil sands
1998: The company ships its one
billionth barrel of oil, the first oil
sands producer to do so
1999: Syncrude retires its first

dragline and bucketwheel
1999: The new 360-ton
Caterpillar 797 truck along with
the P&H 4100 electric shovel are
introduced to the industry at
Syncrudes North mine
Home
BY David DiCenzo
Guest workers from across the

country are a key component of
Syncrudes ongoing success
SYNCRUDE
HOME
Away From
89
PHOTOS COURTESY BUILDING TRADES OF ALBERTA

CORNERSTONE
90
ONE ENORMOUS FAMILY:

Syncrude has enabled the careers of
countless thousands of guest workers.
PHOTO: CONSTANTINE TANASIUK
Blakely says
that visionary
thinking has
been part of
the companys
history.
Syncrude
focused on the
longer term.
FIRST CHOICE EMPLOYER:

Building Trades of Alberta executive director
Warren Fraleigh says that Syncrude has a leading
reputation in the way it treats guest workers.
Canada has about

179 billion barrels of
established crude oil
reserves, more than
any other country in
the world except Saudi
Arabia and Venezuela.
Source: Petroleum
Human Resources Council
of Canada.
FAST FACT:
cross-country trip and have been with Aluma ever since.

The company does daily scaffolding work on site at
Syncrude, while also contributing during shutdowns
and special projects like the Upgrader Expansion
project (UE-1). The Matthews brothers story is a
familiar one in the oil sands. Thousands of kilometres separate the Maritimers from home, but Perry,
51, says two things help soften the blow of being
away from family in Cape Breton: the camaraderie
and the opportunity.
Aluma Systems is just one of the many Building
Trades of Alberta contractors that play an integral
role in maintaining the Syncrude facility and contributing to its growth projects. On a daily basis, regular
maintenance employs a base workforce of approximately 750 to 1,000 workers. That number increases
to between 2,700 and 3,000 daily during major
plant maintenance turnaround events. For 2014, an
estimated 3,000 contract workers, from Alberta and
across the country, will be employed on maintenance
and sustaining capital projects. About 85 per cent
of contract work on the Syncrude site is completed
SYNCRUDE
VERY ONCE IN A WHILE, HUGH

and Perry Matthews enjoy a little
taste of the Maritimes. The two Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia-born brothers
spend most of their days in northern
Alberta working as carpenters for
Aluma Systems, a company contracted by Syncrude to do scaffolding work. For weeks at a
time, life revolves solely around work and the camp,
with the odd trip into town to pick up some necessities and stretch their legs. On occasion, they are
treated to an East Coast dinner. It might not be the
same as Maritime lobster or shrimp freshly plucked
from the Atlantic, but a seafood feast at the camp is
a nice reminder of family life back in Nova Scotia,
where they return a few times a year.
For the brothers, commuting across the country
to ply their trade is a family tradition. Back in about
2001, we had a brother living out in Fort McMurray,
says Hugh, 58. Perry and I were finishing up
different jobs and talking about coming out here.
In the end, they decided they would make the
91
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by Building Trades contractors

over the years some 280 million
workforce hours have been logged.
Syncrudes recipe for success has
drawn workers to the oil sands for
decades, many of whom want to
be part of something big.
Robert Blakely, now 63, was
one of them when the original
plant was built. I remember the
excitement back in 1972, says
Blakely, who began his career as
a pipefitter and later became a
union rep and then president of
Building Trades of Alberta before
landing in his current position
as director of Canadian affairs
for the Building & Construction
Trades Department. There was
going to be this multibilliondollar project, which required an
enormous effort to get everyone
onside, he says. Once people got
there and started working, this
was a job of magnitude. It was
beyond peoples wildest dreams,
grandeur in terms of what it was
and what we were going to build.
Ever since the construction of
the original plant, Syncrude has
been the largest single customer of
Building Trades of Alberta unions.
The companys long-standing
relationship with these unions
gives guest workers a true sense
that they are part of the team and,
as a result, they take great pride
in their work for the company.
When we built [the original
plant] and it was turned on, and it
worked, people understood that
this was launching a new era in
Alberta, Blakely says.
Despite the ambitious introduction, the early 1980s brought
economic hardship to Alberta.
Blakely says Syncrude stepped
up at a time when many were
desperate for work. The company
announced the Capacity Addition
Project in 1983, a $1.2-billion
investment aimed at increasing
production from 109,000 to
150,000 barrels a day. It stabilized
wages and put people to work.
Syncrude showed a lot of leadership, Blakely says.
Blakely says that visionary
thinking has been a critical part
of the company over its history.
Syncrude focused on the longer
term and realized that it could
not rely forever on the baby boom
generation. So the question
became, What do we need to do

for tomorrow? Blakely believes
the approach has been enormously
beneficial for Alberta, especially
through community investment in
things like the arts and childrens
sports. But the workforce impact
has been equally significant.
When we started, it was a few
Albertans, Blakely says. Then it
became this idea that if you build
it, they will come. Treating union
workers well, and providing them
with a safe, comfortable experience during their time with the
company has become a point of
pride. And Blakely was right they
have indeed come.
Warren Fraleigh, executive
director of the Building Trades of
Alberta, estimates that a robust
80 per cent of the working hours
put in by his members are in the
oil sands. Every construction or
maintenance project has competition for resourcesand labour,
says Fraleigh. Due to the history
and reputation that has come
with years of exposure to the
union craft personnel, Syncrude
has come to be recognized as a
leader in the way it treats trades
people, by offering a safe jobsite
with good working conditions and
accommodations.
I witnessed the Syncrude
turnaround leaderships commitment to safety on the 2013
Project Timberwolf, where the
turnaround manager personally conducted the group safety
orientation and met each and
every tradesperson who would be
working on the turnaround. He
made it clear that if something
was not safe, workers needed to
stop and report it, and he would
ensure there were no negative
consequences. This type of effort
is appreciated and keeps people
coming back to Syncrude.
Hugh Matthews is one of the
thousands of workers happy to do
just that. He says the staff at camp
is great and that all their needs
are met, be it food, bedding or
laundry. Hanging out with some
buddies from Down East, along
with the colleagues he has met
from all over Canada, certainly
helps. Everybody is away from
their family and were under
pressure that way, says Perry. It
just makes things a little easier.
Congratulations Syncrude Canada Ltd.

on your 50th anniversary!
www.emeryjamieson.com
NEIGHBOURS
Reinventing the Wheels

Technological development at Syncrude keeps
the companys research specialists keen
BY Alex Migdal PHOTOGRAPHY BY Curtis Trent
The
experience
and the
interest in
the job was
so good
that I hung
around.
Stewart Johnson,
company innovator
FAST FACT:
Canada has the third

largest oil reserves
in the world. Ninetyseven per cent of
those reserves are
in the oil sands.
CORNERSTONE
Source: CAPP
94
LANDING A JOB AT SYNCRUDE

Canada Ltd. was the best
accident Stewart Johnson could
have asked for.
In 1981, Johnson was wrapping
up a two-year diploma in plastics
engineering technology at the
Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology (NAIT). Syncrude
was recruiting chemical technologists to perform analysis work,
and even though the position fell
outside Johnsons field, he wanted
to gain more experience with job
interviews, so he applied.
That interview landed Johnson
a career at Syncrude that has gone
on to span more than 30 years.
The experience and my interest
in the job were so good that I hung
around, he says with a laugh.
Johnson has done more than
just hang around. Now a senior
research specialist, hes played
an integral role in a number of
Syncrudes research projects,
including research on truck
tires, synthetic lubricants, lined
slurry piping and large diameter
slurry hoses and, more recently,
a bid to increase the reliability of
conveyer belt technology in oil
sands operations.
Conveyer belts are used to
move broken-up oil sand from
a crusher unit to an extraction
plant. Recently, the Syncrude
operation experienced unexpected wear on the systems pulley
covers (the backside where the
conveyer belt rides on rollers),
but Johnson and his team have
found ways to improve wear
resistance and increase lifespan.
They will be field testing a dual
compound conveyer belt this
STEWART JOHNSON
year, which features an oil sand

processing compound on the
top and a wear-resistant one
underneath. The trick was to
improve one while avoiding
damage to the other.
Its a give and take, Johnson
says. You can improve the
abrasion resistance, but you give
up a little bit of oil resistance. By
doing that, the pulley side doesnt
need as much oil resistance.
Theres no magic compound
thats out there for everything.
Through lab testing, Johnson
and his team are analyzing
compounds from various
manufacturers to pinpoint their
low-temperature and abrasion
resistance. The teams goal is to
identify compounds that can
double the abrasion resistance,
but only give up five to 10 per cent
of the oil resistance. By doing
this, were expecting an increase

in the longevity of our conveyer
belts as were not wearing out the
pulley cover and exposing the
steel cables like we did with our
old compounds.
Johnsons job satisfaction
comes from seeing his research
applied in the field. Despite the
demands, adapting to change is
whats kept Johnson going for
30-plus years.
Whats interesting is how
much technology in the industry
has advanced. People may not
see it. People see a conveyer belt
rather than the nuances.
In 30 years with the company,
Johnson has seen many technological changes, and implemented new technologies that
have helped not only Syncrude,
but have also helped change the
wider oil sands business.
WilkSyncrudeAd2
4/22/14
9:07 AM
Page 1
Congratulations to everyone
at Syncrude on your 50th
Anniversary!
Wilkinson is proud to have been a key supplier
to Syncrude for your MRO needs since Day 1!
Congratulations
Syncrude on your
50th Anniversary!
Engineering Earths Development,

Preserving Earths Integrity.
We are a one-stop-shop that you can count on

to continue offering unique and innovative
solutions for all your metal needs. Here at
Wilkinson we are dedicated to reducing
customers total costs by providing quality

materials processed/manufactured by skilled
personnel utilizing highly advanced equipment
and technologies.
Our mutually agreed upon strategic partnership
has proven to be a successful business
decision for both companies.
Calgary + 403 299-5600

Edmonton + 780 483-3499
Fort McMurray + 780 743-4040
Canada + 800 414-8314
www.wilkinsonsteel.ca
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CARBON STEEL STAINLESS STEEL ALUMINUM INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
How have we pushed the limits of what innovation and

technology can accomplish with Syncrude?
Through an alliance of industry-leading minds, of course.

CRITERION and Syncrude are proud to celebrate 20 years as alliance partners at the same time as Syncrude celebrates its 50th
anniversary. The combination of breakthrough catalyst systems from scientists like Josiane Ginestra, as well as process solutions
co-developed through technical reviews and process optimizations by CRITERION and Syncrude technical experts working closely
together, have added substantial additional margins to the bottom line for the upgrader.
We look forward to working together and continuing to nd new breakthroughs.
Better Than Par

The Syncrude Boreal Open will play through
Fort McMurray until at least 2016
CORNERSTONE
IN 2011, FOR THE FIRST

time, 156 of the top PGA Tour
prospects descended on the Fort
McMurray Golf Club. That year
Syncrude Canada Ltd. brought
the PGA Tour Canada to the
city. The company has since
extended its title sponsorship
of the Syncrude Boreal Open
through 2016, meaning that
Wood Buffalo residents will have
a chance to see the likes of
Cory Renfrew (winner of the
2012 tournament) for another
three years.
Were ecstatic that Syncrude
will continue to support this
event through 2016, says Jeff
Monday, president of the PGA
96
Tour Canada. The whole city

really seems to get behind this
tournament, and there really
is a great atmosphere around
the event. We look forward to
many great tournaments in Fort
McMurray to come.
The Fort McMurray Golf
Club is one of just 12 stops the
PGA Tour Canada will make
in the 2014 season and like the
11 other events, the golfers will
be competing for a purse of
$150,000. PGA Tour standouts
like Stephen Ames, Mike
Weir, Arron Oberholser, Chris
DiMarco and John Malinger
have all played on the PGA Tour
Canada in recent years.
SYNCRUDE
IN THE COMMUNITY
97
Job well done, Syncrude.

Now get some rest, weve got a big day tomorrow.
Noralta Lodge is looking forward to making the next 50
years more comfortable and productive for the hardworking
people that drive our economy.
Join us at one of our numerous lodges, strategically located
near Northern Albertas oil sands.
EDMONTON | CALGARY | FORT MCMURRAY
noraltalodge.com
NEIGHBOURS
Strategic Alliances
Syncrudes long-term partnership with Edmonton companies
makes it an important contributor to the citys economy
BY Caleb Caswell PHOTOGRAPHY BY Curtis Trent
CoSyn leverages many of

WorleyParsons global resources
for project support.
Goodine is proud of what CoSyn
and Syncrude have accomplished.
And really, who wouldnt be? he
says. Im fortunate to have the
opportunity to steer a significant
business that contributes value to
my organization, and impacts the
550 employees who work for us.
And of course theres the giving
back to the community in so many
ways; that makes you feel good to
know that you are helping to make
a difference. Having a small part to
play in that is fantastic.
FAST FACT:
Oil production is
forecast to reach at
least 4 million barrels
per day by 2020.
Source: Petroleum
Human Resources
Council of Canada.
Syncrudes success is due

in part to the contributions
of teams like CoSyn that help
deliver engineered solutions,
which support operations
while improving on the value of
services to Syncrude.
Performance management
is really where our efforts lie,
says Goodine. We optimize
the business, lean out processes
and innovate like crazy to
improve the projects delivered
to Syncrude. Like Goodine,
CoSyn recently celebrated its own
20-year anniversary of serving
Syncrudes operational needs.
- Edmontons Mayor
Don Iveson
LLOYD GOODINE,
CoSyn Technologies.
We know
these engineers give back,
whether its for
a corporate
challenge or
organizations
like the United
Way. Its
great to have
companies like
this choose
Edmonton.
SYNCRUDE
LLOYD GOODINE HAS

worked for Syncrude Canada
Ltd., in one way or another, for
more than 20 years. His current
role with Syncrude as manager
of the CoSyn Alliance may be his
most rewarding.
CoSyn Technology is the
product of a long-term agreement
between Syncrude and Colt
Engineering, now WorleyParsons,
that provides engineering and
project delivery services associated with Syncrudes operating and
capital project needs. It keeps 550
people, including 300 engineers,
employed in Edmonton, making
it an important part of the citys
economy. Edmonton mayor Don
Iveson is happy to have a team
like CoSyn working in the city.
The folks working with
the CoSyn Alliance are really
important to our ongoing
competitiveness, Iveson says.
We know these engineers give
back, whether its for a corporate
challenge or organizations like
the United Way. Its great to
have companies like this choose
Edmonton.
For his part, Goodine says
Edmonton is an ideal location
for teams like CoSyn Technology: the citys relative proximity
to Fort McMurray and low cost
of living combined with its
access to a knowledgeable and
skilled workforce are some of
the citys advantages. Syncrude
is an important contributor to
Edmontons economy even
beyond CoSyn. In 2011, Syncrude
did $1.7 billion worth of business
with Edmonton and area
companies.
99
MILESTONES
200
The 2000s
WITH THE OPENING OF
the Aurora North mine, 35
kilometres northeast of Mildred
Lake, Syncrudes production
increases rapidly. Emphasis is
placed on innovative projects
in extraction as well as environmental reclamation.
2000: Syncrude begins work
with Caterpillar to develop and
test the first 400-tonne trucks
Caterpillars 797B in the oil
sands
2001: The Canadian Council

for Aboriginal Business accredits
Syncrude with Gold Level certification for its commitment to
working with Aboriginal people,
a designation that it continues to
hold today
2006: The company completes

the UE-1 (Upgrader Expansion)
project, adding a third coker to
the operation to increase production capacity to 350,000 bpd
2008: The Alberta government

issues Syncrude the first reclamation certification in the Canadian
oil sands, for the Gateway
Hill area
CORNERSTONE
2008: Syncrude hits a production

milestone of two billion barrels
100
Local 424 IBEW Congratulates Syncrude Canada on 50 years of

innovation, leadership and growth. Our members are proud to
have worked on Syncrudes construction and maintenance projects
since the beginning.We look forward to your continued success and
valued partnership.
Syncrude Mildred Lake Site Aug. 1974

Photo credit: Provincial Archives of Alberta J.312/2
Local 424 IBEW

Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray
780-462-5076
ibew424@ibew.net
CORNERSTONE
102
HISTORICAL INVESTMENT:
Syncrudes investments in its upgrader
have enabled the company to produce
value-added crude oil.
Quantity
Quality
Meets
SYNCRUDE
Syncrudes historical
investment in upgrading
brings benefit to Canada
and shows off amazing
technical innovation.
Here is a day in pictures
103

|
TRADING TIME:
Syncrudes blended
product trades at
prices comparable
to West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) and
at times commands a
premium over indices
like Edmonton Par and
Western Canadian
Select.
SYNCRUDE
PHOTOS: JOHN GAUCHER
CAPACITY:
Syncrude Canada Ltd. has a production capacity
of approximately 350,000 barrels of oil per day
all of which is a high quality, low-sulphur light,
sweet crude oil.
105
TECHNICAL EDGE:
Syncrudes upgrader is a sprawling complex of
pipes, furnaces, conveyor belts and separation
facilities all operated from a computerized control
centre. With a few key strokes, Syncrude staff
can open and close valves, make temperature
adjustments inside furnaces and keep the steady
flow of oil sands products moving.
106
JUST AN UPGRADER?
In the mind of the general public, theres
little distinction between a refinery and an
upgrader. But there is. Refineries make products
like motor oil, gasoline and diesel that can be
put to use in cars and trucks. Upgraders take
ultra-heavy oil and turn it into light oil before a
refinery turns it into a product of everyday use.
Syncrudes upgrading facilities also produce
diesel fuel, which the company uses for its
heavy-haul trucks in its oil sands mine.
PHOTOS: JOHN GAUCHER
CORNERSTONE
SWEET SUCCESS:
The companys upgrader boasts the worlds largest
vacuum distillation unit and largest fluid cokers, allowing
Syncrude to separate large quantities of light-gas oil,
heavy-gas oil and naphtha from the bitumen it extracts
from oil sand. Syncrude also has the worlds largest
hydrogen plant. It enables sweetening of the product
by removing sulphur, thereby allowing the company to
squeeze the most value out of its product possible.
Venture is privileged
to have produced
this commemorative
magazine on
the occasion of
Syncrudes 50th
anniversary. It has
been an honour to
chronicle the stories
of the people and
innovation which
have built this energy
giant to its current
level of success.
S
E
R
V
I
Congratulations
E ofSyncrude
on 50 years
innovation!
Working together for over 30 years to provide locally manufactured

work wear and commercial dry-cleaning
ISO 14001 certified, utilizing an environmentally friendly technique that
extracts and recycles hydrocarbons pulled from cleaning process.
A Socially responsible organization enhancing livelihoods through
employment and social infrastructure support and development
Congratulations on 50 years from

your longest serving First Nation
owned supplier!
PHOTO: JOHN GAUCHER
FAST FACT:
Air quality in Fort

McMurray is better than
many North American
cities including
Toronto and Edmonton.
Source: Alberta Clean Air
Strategic Alliance
TODD HIRSCH
By upgrading and doing the

value-added here in Alberta, it is a
bigger capital outlay for Syncrude,
but it does give them the ability to
get a better price for it.
Todd Hirsch, chief economist, ATB Financial
PREMIUM UNLEADED:
Price Differential for Edmonton Light, Synthetic Crude and

Western Canada Select to West Texas Intermediate
US $/bbl
WCS
$20
Edmonton Light
Synthetic
$10
West
Texas
Intermediate
$0
($10)
($20)
($30)
CORNERSTONE
($40)
108
($50)
Jan-11
Jul-11
Jan-12
Source: FirstEnergy Capital Corp., Bloomberg.
Jul-12
Jan-13
Jul-13
Jan-14
A tribute to our most important resource

Syncrudes success is a testament to the resourcefulness of the thousands
of men and women who work together to help secure Canadas energy future
through the responsible development and operation of the Syncrude project.
As its largest investor, Canadian Oil Sands salutes the many remarkable
achievements accomplished over a rich 50-year history.
GardaWorld is proud to be
associated with Syncrude
Canadas 50th anniversary
commemorative magazine
GardaWorld prides itself by always proposing a
local approach of doing business. We recognize
the importance of giving back by having a positive
impact on the communities where our employees
live and work.
Congratulations on
your 50 years of endless
contribution in shaping
Albertas business
landscape
GardaWorld Fort McMurrays branch is honoured

to have an Aboriginal workforce of 20% within
its ranks. We have recently joined forces with
the Fort McKay Metis Group of Companies and
formed GardaNorth which is 51% owned by
Fort McKay Metis Group of Companies.
GardaWorld is among the few firms who hold
the Certificate of Recognition (COR) given to
companies that meet the highest safety standards.
If you would like to know more,

visit gardaglobal.com/protective-services
garda.com
CORNERSTONE
NEIGHBOURS
110
ROCHELLE YOUNG
Planning for
the Future
Rochelle Young is working to implement
plans that will return the landscape to its
natural state
Through
my whole
career, I feel
Ive been able
to be a part of
environmental
improvement.
Rochelle Young,
team lead, Mildred
Lake tailings and lease
development planning
she says. Tailings to me are not

just a byproduct of making oil; its
a material we can use to rebuild
the landscape. Its a step towards
the end goal, not leaving anything
to waste.
At the moment, Youngs team is
involved in the implementation of
new tailings technologies that will
further the reclamation of tailings
ponds. Being part of making
something better, thats what I
want. Its what drives me to come
to work.
Young says she has heard
numerous times that Syncrude
is a leader when it comes to
reclamation. I dont think its
just the land we actually reclaim,
its the practices that we use
when we do it, she says. Were
part of something to be proud
of. Things have not been
stagnant since I came here; its
been continuous growth.
Indeed, Young shows off
Syncrudes complete reclamation
plan a detailed geographical description of how the mining area
will look once it has been entirely
reclaimed. She says Syncrude has
invested time, money and expertise in how to fully reclaim the
landscape and create watersheds
and landscapes that truly recreate
the boreal forest. That, of course,
is the intent.
boreal forest to build reclaimed

landscapes that resemble a natural
forest bottom. The surfaces of the
reclaimed areas are left rough to
retain moisture and create natural
microsites for a larger diversity of
Boreal plants to grow.
We dont want to create
something that resembles a golf
course, Young says of reclaimed
landscapes. Syncrude uses more
than trees to reclaim land from
oil sands mining it also plants
shrubs and other plants that
would naturally appear in the
region, including blueberry and
cranberry bushes. The multidisciplinary team has been particularly successful in researching
and constructing the Sandhill Fen
Watershed, which is providing
the initial conditions necessary
to develop a self-sustaining fen
wetland and its watershed.
While she started at the
company working in the environmental services department,
Young moved to reclamation in
2007. Now she works specifically
in tailings and lease development
planning. Its the future of the oil
sands, says Young. Thats why I
feel lucky that I get to work with
this team.
Through my whole career, I
feel Ive been able to be a part of
environmental improvement,
SYNCRUDE
IN HER OFFICE, ROCHELLE

Young sits with maps spread
around her, showing the progress
that Syncrude Canada Ltd. will
make in reclamation over the next
50 years. Things are going to
change, fairly dramatically, she
says. At Syncrude, if you have an
idea, you can make it happen.
Young grew up in Fort McMurray, and returned after finishing
her schooling to help make sure
the land she lives on remains
healthy. She studied environmental
management at Lakeland College,
and moved back to her hometown
to work at Syncrude, where her
parents had worked before her.
Now, she lives in the community
with her husband (who also works
at Syncrude) and her children, who
attend the same school she did.
In 1992, Syncrude planted its millionth tree on reclaimed land. Since
then, the company has worked to
further technological innovation
when it comes to land reclamation,
while planting another six million
trees on the landscape.
One of the major focus points of
Syncrude reclamation efforts has
been in finding innovative ways to
develop natural environments that
support the forest. To that end,
Youngs team follows a process that
utilizes the natural soils and large
woody debris from the pre-existing
111
IN THE COMMUNITY
All the Schools a Stage
CORNERSTONE
Syncrudes sponsorship of the Evergreen Theatre helps students

learn about environmental science
112
SOME DRESSED UP AS FROGS,

others as bumblebees and still
others as penguins. In April
2013, students at Father J.A.
Turcotte Elementary School, and
down the road at Dr. K.A. Clark
School, capped off a week of
theatre practice by putting on a
performance on the importance
of energy conservation.
Actors from Calgarys Evergreen Theatre company helped
the students at both schools
develop their own plays through
the theatre companys Grow a

Show program, which is linked
with Alberta Educations science
curriculum. Syncrude Canada
Ltd. provided the funding for
Evergreen Theatre to attend both
schools for a week, work with the
students, rehearse and ultimately
perform their plays.
The motto of Grow a Show
is: Tell me, I forget. Show
me, I remember. Involve me, I
understand. The idea of using
student-acted performances
to describe environmental
science is that the children learn
and internalize the content.
Students learn how specific
actions like turning down the
heat or turning off the lights can
benefit endangered species like the
polar bear or whooping crane,
says Sean Fraser of Evergreen
Theatre. More than 300 students
at Father J.A. Turcotte and Dr. K.
A. Clark elementary schools in
Fort McMurray went through the
program in 2013.
Congratulations Syncrude Canada on 50 Years!

On behalf of Univar Canada and our supplier partners, congratulations on your 50 year
anniversary. We are proud to be your chemical supplier and thank you for your business!
We look forward to remaining your key supplier of commodity and specialty chemicals as
we look toward solutions that bring Syncrude Canada value: technically,
commercially and responsibly.
Congratulations Syncrude Canada, and to all of your
past, present and contract employees. Thank
you for all that you do to contribute to the
province of Alberta and for Canada.
Chemistry Delivered.
Univar Congratulates Syncrude on 50th Anniversary - Blue.indd 1
4/15/14 8:53:26 AM
Accipiter Radar is proud to be a part of

Syncrude Canadas on-going innovation and
progress in environmental management.
Syncrude operates the largest and most
sophisticated radar bird deterrent system
in the world to help protect waterfowl. The
Accipiter Bird Protection Radar System
employs advanced automated technology to
detect and track birds so that deterrents can
be efficiently utilized. In addition, the system
captures and stores a wealth of information on
bird habits which are analyzed by scientists,
environmentalists and regulators, to determine
how to consistently improve interaction in the
future.
It is Syncrudes strong commitment to
sustainability that makes such exceptional
stewardship of natural resources possible.
That is something to celebrate!
Congratulations Syncrude on 50 Years of Innovation
Thank you.
Its been a great partnership.
Way to go
on turning
the BIG
50!
lockwoodint.com
Proud supplier of valves for the past 15 yearsand many more.
Communities
First
BY Shannon Sutherland Smith
SYNCRUDE
Syncrude has deliberately helped build

Aboriginal-owned companies through
its procurement program
Putting Local
DOUG WEBB
115
N
Were just
really grateful
that a big
company like
Syncrude
believed in
us and was
willing to
work with a
little guy.
CORNERSTONE
George Halfe
CEO at GLBC
116
EVER BEFORE HAD FIREretardant clothing looked quite

so fetching.
When the team from Goodfish
Lake Business Corporation
(GLBC) took a field trip, from the
Whitefish Lake First Nation just
northeast of Edmonton, a few hundred kilometres
north to Fort McMurray to see the workwear they
manufacture in action on the Syncrude site, it was
somewhat overwhelming for many of them. Those
durable, blue coveralls were a symbol of success for
Goodfish Lake employees. A lot of the people we
brought had never been to Fort McMurray before,
never mind seeing those massive work sites, says
George Halfe, chief operating officer at GLBC, which
was launched by the small First Nation and a local
economic development group decades earlier. They
were ecstatic. They were on Cloud 9. It rejuvenated
their spirits and gave them the motivation to
continue with the vision our leaders had established
37 years ago.
The corporation began in 1977 as a dry-cleaning
company serving the oil sands, and within a couple
of years of launching, it branched into garment
manufacturing, serving large clients like Syncrude.
Now employing 90 people in a community of about
2,000, GLBC has diversified considerably, reaching
into several sectors from manufacturing and
construction to agriculture and food services. The
business was started as a means for providing direct
employment to the community and that was and
is our focus. The level of poverty in Goodfish Lake
back then was terrible and employment was a huge
problem, says Halfe. We have seen significant
BRIDGE BUILDER:
Syncrude Aboriginal business liaison Doug Webb
sees his role as a relationship builder.
changes for the better since then. We really have built

something here.
Halfe says there are always ups and downs, but
long-term relationships with clients like Syncrude
have helped them create sustainable growth with
environmentally responsible solutions that also
provide good economic value. For 37 years, we have
maintained our dry-cleaning process, collecting
about 20 barrels of sludge from the clothes we
clean for each three-month period, and sending
it away to be recycled rather than just letting it go
down into the sewer, as often happens during wet
cleaning. Customers like Syncrude really value our
commitment to environmental best practices, says
Halfe, adding that one of the corporations greatest
achievements was attaining the ISO 140001 certification in 2007, making it the first Aboriginal business
in Canada to earn that internationally recognized
environmental certification.
The company recently underwent an aggressive
reorganization, recruiting some high-level management talent and restructuring its board. GLBC also
moved its dry-cleaning operations to Edmonton a
little over a year ago, focusing on manufacturing at
Goodfish Lake.
Halfe himself started out fixing sewing machines
and doing deliveries but he says his satisfaction
doesnt come from climbing the corporate ladder
but rather from contributing to the community.
Our main objective remains employing our
people, says Halfe. Any profit we generate goes into
infrastructure, education and business development
here at home. There is no single individual who is a
millionaire not that theres anything wrong with
making millionaires, but that isnt what were about.
Schmidt + Clemens Group
CONGRATULATING
More than
centrifugal casting
and cast components
ON
We are the international market

leader for:
serpentine tube assemblies
reformer tubes
main collecting systems
used in steam cracker plants and
steam reformers.
Congratulations to 50th Anniversary.
We are proud to be Close at Heart
to Syncrude.
Schmidt + Clemens Group

Kaiserau 2 51789 Lindlar / Germany
Phone: +49 2266 92-0
Email: spuncasting@schmidt-clemens.de
Internet: www.schmidt-clemens.com
POWER PRODUCTS
As a 5 time Presidents Safety Award winner and dedicated service

provider since 1983, Terracon is proud to be part of this milestone.
9204 - 37 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6E 5L4
Tel: 780-455-2260
www.frontierpower.com
Congratulations
to Syncrude on
50 years!
Proudly supplying custom manufactured mobile power generation

equipment meeting Syncrudes exacting requirements.
I hope to
increase
Aboriginal
involvement in
the region and
ensure success
in business
for those
companies we
work with.
CORNERSTONE
Doug Webb,
Syncrude Aboriginal
business liaison
118
CHERYL ALEXANDER
Were just really grateful that a big company like

Syncrude believed in us and was willing to work with
a little guy.
SYNCRUDE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO WORKing alongside its neighbours since its inception five
decades ago, and its immediate neighbours include
five First Nations and six Mtis locals. Syncrude not
only directly employs about500 Aboriginal people
who represent more than nine per cent of its total
employee population, but many more are employed
by its contractors. Syncrude has conducted more
than $2 billion in business with Aboriginal companies since 1992, including $186 million in 2013 alone.
Syncrudes Aboriginal business liaison, Doug
Webb, sees his role as that of a relationship builder.
His early years growing up in the area have given
him a deep appreciation for his culture and now he
has the opportunity to contribute to the economic
health of Aboriginal-owned businesses.In this role I
have come what seems like full circle, he says. The
kids I played with are now members of the local
business community as managers and CEOs or are
running their own businesses. I have a chance to go
to the outlying communities and reconnect with old
friends and rediscover my own Aboriginal heritage.
I hope to increase the Aboriginal involvement in
the region and ensure success in business for those
companies we work with.
Syncrude was also a founding member of the
Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA), which has more than 120 full
members as well as about 180 associate members.
It was when NAABA was able to get the ear of
Syncrude that the association really took root, says
former NAABA president Nicole Bourque-Bouchier.

She says Syncrude saw the value in NAABA early
on and really helped keep it motivated to grow. The
current NAABA president, Mitch Mercredi, says its
very gratifying to see Aboriginal businesses earning
local contracts, and Syncrude has been supportive in
ensuring full members have access to bid on those
contracts. The organization has been a great place
to learn, grow and network for countless successful
entrepreneurs. NAABA was the proving grounds
for business owner Cheryl Alexander, the founder
of C&O Consulting, which provides Aboriginal
awareness training, team building, leadership
development and facilitation services.
Alexander left a good job with the municipality in
2007 to go work as the general manager at NAABA
until 2011 when her own business really began to
take off. The demand is enormous and I really cant
meet it on my own, so Im now in the process of
hiring people to help me grow this business, since
I have a very ambitious vision for this company that
involves expanding across Canada, she says, adding
that working closely with companies like Syncrude
has helped her hone her skills and product offerings
as well as build her confidence that her business
really is adding value for her clients. Right now Im
at the point of telling my clients that its time for me
to step back from some of the day-to-day responsibilities, but clients dont really like to hear that, she
says with a laugh. But I remind them that there was
a time that Dave Tuccaro had to stop driving the
water truck, and then they realize that, yes, if this
business is going to achieve its full potential, this
needs to happen, and they can trust me to choose the
right people to represent me. Tuccaro, a member of
Wishing Syncrude another 50 years of resource leadership.

Your partners at Newalta celebrate your achievements as
we continue to improve environmental performance together.
to our partners at Syncrude
FABRICATION MODULES CONSTRUCTION

MAINTENANCE SHUTDOWNS MACHINING
on your
50
th Anniversary
We are proud to partner with you in
research and innovation
leading to responsible resource development.
www.albertainnovatestechfutures.ca
AITF SYNCRUDE 50TH ANNIVERSARY AD_FINAL.indd 1
2014-04-15 12:49 PM
the same First Nation as Alexander, is a living legend

as an entrepreneur. He owns a group of companies
that is worth more than $100 million, and he started
out with one industrial vacuum truck and one
water truck.
Many successful Aboriginal entrepreneurs started
out in hands-on roles working on site for oil companies. That was certainly the case for the owners of
Birch Mountain Enterprises Ltd. who are all former
Syncrude employees. Altogether, they had almost 40
years of experience with Syncrude before deciding to
strike out on their own, and they have now built up a
fleet of equipment and employ about 100 peple. We
hope to continue to build our working relationship
with Syncrude as they gave Birch Mountain our first
contract in the area, and that meant a great deal to
us then and it still does now, says co-founder Ivan
Boucher, a former welder with Syncrude. We each
have 10-plus years of service with Syncrude, and
we have used this experience to build our company
around safety, and we remain committed to our
employees because Syncrude demonstrated that
commitment to us during our time there.
Syncrude is one of 13 companies in Canada, and the
only oil sands operator, to be accredited at the gold
level in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR)
program of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal
Business. There has also been an increased focus on
Aboriginal business development since 2013, which
NICOLE BOURQUE-BOUCHIER
resulted in a 27 per cent increase in Aboriginal spending at Syncrude over 2012. It has been estimated that
Aboriginal-owned and controlled corporations now
account for more than $1 billion in annual revenues
from the oil sands, and entrepreneurs like BourqueBouchier hope to see the next generation benefit as
well. The motivating factor for us in starting our
business was the freedom, and we also wanted to be
mentors to our children to show them that if they
want something, giving it their maximum effort all
the time can make them successful.
When the
Northeastern
Alberta
Aboriginal
Business
Association
was able to
get the ear of
Syncrude, the
association
really took
root.
Nicole Bourque-Bouchier
past president, NAABA
MILESTONES
50
Today & Tomorrow

FIFTY YEARS LATER,
Syncrude continues to invest
heavily in new technologies,
just as it did when it was first
incorporated. Much of the
companys current research
focuses on environmental
remediation and tailings
management. The company
continues to lead and has reached
a new milestone for Aboriginal
employment, at nine per cent
of its total workforce in 2012.
2013: Syncrudes procurement

contracts with Aboriginal-owned
businesses reach a cumulative
total of $2 billion
2013: Just more than a decade
after rumbling into the mine,
Syncrudes first Caterpillar
797B truck reaches 100,000
service hours
CORNERSTONE
2014: Syncrude celebrates its

50th anniversary
122
HERES TO
50 YEARS!
CONGRATULATIONS
SYNCRUDE CANADA
YOUR PARTNER AND FRIENDS AT ACUREN
www.acuren.com
a Rockwood Company
Congratulations on Securing Canadas

Energy Future for 50 years.
bennettjones.com
Your lawyer. Your law firm. Your business advisor.
Where Clients Matter Most.
Image Syncrude Canada Ltd.
BennettJones_SyncrudeCommAd_CMYK_3PgHoriz v2.indd 1
25/04/2014 10:00:23 AM
Telecommunication and Infrastructure Specialists for the Oil & Gas Industry
Congratulations on 50 years leading

the Oilsands region
We are proud to be an Alberta based company supporting our communities and Oilsands
Region from our offices in Fort McMurray, Edmonton and Calgary
1(877)9PCSINC (972-7462)
WWW.PRECOMSOL.COM
IN THE COMMUNITY
The Making of an Icon

Wood bison have become a symbol of northeastern Alberta,
thanks in no small part to Syncrudes patronage of the arts
scholarship at Keyano College, sponsors

the Keyano College Theatre through
Syncrude Arts Alive concerts, and
sponsors Aboriginal artists as they visit
schools in the area and teach students
about cultural song and dance. In 2012,
the company also sponsored four First
Nations art exhibits that travelled
throughout the province through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling
Exhibit Program, which was organized
by the Art Gallery of Alberta.
Fort McKay First Nation sculpted a herd

of eight siltstone bison. The four-metretall bison were unveiled to a crowd of
3,400 people on September 3, 1995, and
have served as a landmark in the area
ever since.
Weighing 35 tonnes each, and now
called the Syncrude Bison Gateway, the
bison are one example of Syncrudes
support of the arts in the Wood Buffalo
region. The company also supports a
visual and performing arts entrance
SYNCRUDE
ABORIGINAL ARTIST BRIAN CLARKS

work has been presented to royalty, like
Prince Phillip, Grammy Award-winning
artists, like k.d. lang, and to the people
of Wood Buffalo.
Clarks best-known work flanks
Highway 63 north of Fort McMurray
and is the starting point for a hiking
trail on reclaimed oil sands land the
Matcheetawin Discovery Trail.
Commissioned by Syncrude in 1994,
Clark and a team of workers from the
125
Congratulations Syncrude on providing 50 years of synthetic oil production

and innovative solutions to Canada. We are proud to be part of your journey
since 1978, wishing you continued success over the next 50 years.
Global experience applied locally, setting a new benchmark.

Jacobs is one of the worlds largest and most diverse providers of technical, professional,
and construction services, including all aspects of architecture, engineering and
construction, operations and maintenance, as well as scientific and specialty consulting.
Worldwide
www.jacobs.com
NEIGHBOURS
A Clear Solution
Scientific breakthrough turns
tailings water into life-sustaining
fish habitats
typically conducted between

May and the end of October. But
the long R&D timeline is only a
fraction compared to the overall
mining timeframe. I think people
dont understand that these mines
can be active for 30 to 40 years and
maybe even more, Buchanan says.
Were here for generations,
Zubot says. You cant wait until
youre done mining. We need to
start progressive reclamation as
were going along.
Weve spent millions of
dollars on this project so far,
and it is actually a direct result
of Syncrude investing in R&D,
Zubot says. Were trying to make
a difference and improve on our
environmental performance.
Thats why we are committed to
keep moving forward.
to speed up reclamation of the

water. Zubots research findings
speed up the reclamation process
considerably, and he continues
to discover how adding different
chemical compounds can further
improve the process.
Zubot isnt alone in this project.
Gail Buchanan, senior technology
development engineer, worked
closely with him to develop his
research into a field pilot program
as part of Syncrudes Research and
Development team.
Buchanan oversaw the
development phase of the field
pilot project. While most field
tests may take one or two months,
this project took the better part
of two years, due to engineering
requirements and seasonal
restrictions. The field tests are
Warren Zubot,
research associate
GAIL BUCHANAN AND WARREN ZUBOT
You cant
wait until
youre done
mining. We
need to start
progressive
reclamation as
were going
along.
SYNCRUDE
KOI FISH DRIFT THROUGH

a tank sitting in Syncrudes
Research and Development
Centre in Edmonton. They swim
about while Warren Zubot, a
research associate at Syncrude,
explains how difficult it can be to
get the message out about what
companies like his are doing to
forward the cause of environmental reclamation.
Theres so much misinformation out there, people dont know
what to think anymore, says Zubot,
examining the fish. They have the
normal number of fins, eyes and
gills, and the only thing out of the
ordinary might be how large theyve
grown. People take a look at the
size of the fish in this tank and ask
me, Why are the fish so big? Is there
something wrong with the water?
The water is remarkable for its
clarity. The fish are swimming in
tailings pond water that has been
treated using petroleum fluid
coke part of Zubots ongoing
research into using a byproduct of
the coker units used in bitumen
upgrading. Zubot compares the
process to a home water filter. Just
as the filter absorbs chemicals
present in drinking water, petroleum coke can filter suspended
solids and absorb organics like
naphthenic acids, the major
components in tailings water that
make it toxic to aquatic life.
Studies have shown that it will
take years for [tailings] water to
naturally detoxify and support
aquatic life, says Zubot. Were
coming to a point in Syncrudes
business life where we have to do
large-scale aquatic reclamation
projects, and to do that we have
BY Caleb Caswell
127
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IN THE COMMUNITY
Role Models
It pays to become a long-term partner with
organizations that support Aboriginal people.
Canadians across the country feel the effects
Syncrude
has been PAR
Gold since
2001, the PAR
programs
longest
standing gold
member.

|
JP GLADU
SYNCRUDE
PHOTO: JAMIE HOGGE
Jean Paul Gladu,

president of the
Canadian Council for
Aboriginal Business
129
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE SUCCESSES.
BRYTEX BUILDING SYSTEMS INC

5610 - 97 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 3J1
Phone: (780) 437-7970
Fax: (780) 437-5022
Website: www.brytex.com
Email: brytex@brytex.com
DESIGN MANUFACTURE ERECT

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INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL
CONGRATULATIONS
To help turn Canadas vast oilsands deposits into valuable crude oil and petroleum
by-products for five decades is an extraordinary achievement with global
implications. At MNP, we recognize and celebrate Syncrude Canada and the
Syncrude partners exceptional entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence.
Congratulations on 50 years of business success and may the future hold many more.
Contact MNP for all of your Oil Industry needs at 1.877.500.0792
Guthrie Mechanical is Proud to be

a Partner in your Success
Pressure Piping/Steam System Maintenance and Projects
Roberta Jamieson: Syncrude

has been an invaluable partner
with Indspire. By supporting
our awards program, they are
helping us to showcase positive
role models for indigenous
youth across Canada, and
helping us demonstrate to our
young people that anything is
possible if they stay in school.
Syncrude has also supported an
internship for Aboriginal youth
with the Royal Alberta Museum.
How far does Indspire reach?
Can you give us some examples
of how Syncrudes donations
have helped grow Indspires
programs?
What has contributed to

Syncrudes multiple gold level accreditations in the PAR program?
What sets the company apart?
Jean Paul Gladu: Here is an example of a great program Syncrude
has developed. In 2008, Syncrude
partnered with local community
college Keyano College to develop
the Syncrude Aboriginal Trades
Some donors
give and then
move on to the
next charity
or initiative.
Syncrude has
been a solid
partner for
more than 20
years.
Roberta Jamieson,
president and CEO,
Indspire
How has Syncrude helped

Indspire succeed or progress in
its mission?
Jamieson: Role models are

invaluable in all of our programs.
Its important for young people to
see that they have incredible gifts
and potential, and if they set their
sights on a goal they can achieve
it with support. The role models
we feature at the Indspire awards
have been instrumental; young
people tell us it has changed
their lives in many ways. I think
Syncrude, as a champion, has
allowed us to grow and expand
our programming right across the
country. The influence of the role
models has been fabulous.
about the strong relationship

Syncrude has forged with Aboriginal organizations around
the country.
ROBERTA JAMIESON
SYNCRUDE
WITH A MANDATE TO
transform Aboriginal education,
Indspire (formerly the National
Aboriginal Achievement
Foundation) has been honouring
Aboriginal role models from
across Canada at the annual
Indspire Awards for more than
20 years. And as a sponsor of
the awards from the beginning,
Syncrude counts Indspire and its
programs among the companys
successes in working with
Aboriginal communities.
At the same time, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal
Business (CCAB) has validated
Syncrudes work with Aboriginal
communities. Syncrude is recognized as a Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program
gold level company, a distinction
it has held since 2001.
Roberta Jamieson, president
and CEO of Indspire, and Jean
Paul (JP) Gladu, president of the
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, sat down to talk
131
Preparation (SATP) program. It

was launched a year later, with
40 Aboriginal students from
communities located across the
northeastern Alberta region
selected for seven months of inschool training, followed by a onemonth work program at Syncrude.
Upon successful completion and
pre-employment screening, the
graduates are guaranteed a job at
Syncrude through an apprenticeship. Syncrude has the first right
of recruitment for all participants
in the program in exchange for
being the major sponsor of
this initiative.
CORNERSTONE
Nine per cent of Syncrudes workforce has Aboriginal heritage,

which equates to about 500
people. How does this compare
with industries across Canada?
Does it make it a national leader?
132
Gladu: Many companies set goals

to employ an Aboriginal workforce, yet so infrequently are they
able to achieve that. Syncrude is
definitely a national leader in this
area and is representative of a PAR
Gold company. Syncrudes success
in this performance area is due to
a multifaceted approach.
Syncrude strives to hire eligible
Aboriginal people that have the
skills to do the job. They seek

input and feedback on six key
hiring programs from the Aboriginal community and peers. They
have had a dedicated Aboriginal
recruiter since 2005.
how to develop strong relationships with Aboriginal peoples for

other companies?
Jamieson: Absolutely.
What sets Syncrude apart?
Does one companys support

help Aboriginal peoples across
the country?
Jamieson: Yes, especially a company like Syncrude. Some donors
give and then move on to the next
charity or initiative. Syncrude
has been a solid partner for
more than 20 years. If you know
something about our communities, you know that relationship
building and partnerships are
extremely valuable to indigenous
communities and peoples across
the country. Syncrudes support
started before most Canadian
companies. Theyve been leading
the way, in many ways, and theyve
been contracting with indigenous
businesses for procurement in
many areas. Our own chair of
the board, David Tuccaro, spent
his early years working with
Syncrude. This is a lasting legacy
that Syncrude has provided.
Would it be fair to say that the
companys been a role model for
Gladu: The metrics for a gold level

standing in the PAR program is to
receive excellent feedback from a
verifier on management practices, and evidence of increasing
maturity in the management of
Aboriginal relations. In addition,
the company needs to have strong
support from the community and
compelling evidence from the
community of sustained positive
impacts from the companys
programs and activities. Lastly,
long-term relationships with
the Aboriginal communities are
necessary and evidence of active
and strategic management of
relationships over time. A company needs to have demonstrated
success of programs through the
successful delivery over the long
term five-plus years.
How has Syncrude exceeded the
CCABs metrics?
Gladu: Syncrudes success begins
at a foundational level. Aboriginal
CONGRATULATIONS
Syncrude Canada
on your 50th anniversary
We Do It
Right the First Time

nous le faisons bien la premire fois
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Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1P9
P (613) 565-1100 F (613)565-1200
CONGRATULATIONS TO SYNCRUDE ON
50 YEARS!
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relations are integrated within

strategies and in the fabric of how
the company is managed, which
is commendable. The focus on
Aboriginal relations is well communicated inside and outside the
organization. Leadership shows a
good commitment to Aboriginal
relations and to full engagement
with all relevant stakeholders.
Syncrude has been PAR Gold since
2001, the PAR programs longest
standing gold member.
from Felesky Flynn LLP,
one of Canadas leading firms
dedicated to providing
legal advice in the complex
area of taxation law.
How has Syncrudes support of

education made it an example
of good Aboriginal relations
community outreach?
Jamieson: Their commitment
to support the development of
Aboriginal-owned businesses,
their emphasis on hiring and
procurement, setting goals,
measuring, being transparent
about their progress I think
all of those things really set an
excellent example. Working in
partnership with communities in
the region and also supporting the
growth of Aboriginal partnerships
through business, they put their
money where their mouth is.
Syncrude has spent $2 billion in
Aboriginal procurement since
1992, and continues to grow
Aboriginal business relationships.
Where does the company stand in
terms of national position
when it comes to Aboriginal
procurement?
Gladu: This is certainly commendable. Syncrudes success is
evident in their business development and mentorship initiatives
aimed to support and build
communities. The company gives
support and encouragement to
Aboriginal businesses through
direct assistance, provisions
and facilitation of networking
discussions and database support
all sustained by a base of effective
procurement practices and an
action plan to give preference
to Aboriginal companies and
business groups. Commendable
support is also provided for
training and education initiatives
that help nurture business
developments.
CALGARY
5000 Suncor Energy Centre
150 - 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 3Y7
(403) 260-3312
felesky@felesky.com
EDMONTON
1980 Manulife Place
10180 - 101 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3S4
(780) 428-8310
edmonton@felesky.com
www.felesky.com
Yesterdays
Oil Sands
Syncrude spent five years researching how it

could reclaim a northern Alberta wetland
CORNERSTONE
RECLAIMED LANDSCAPES ARE

not supposed to look like golf
courses. Thats the position of
Syncrude Canada Ltd.s
reclamation team.
Syncrude partnered with
elders from local Aboriginal
communities, researchers from
the universities of Alberta,
Saskatchewan, McMaster and
Southern Illinois and BGC
Engineering, on a five-year
project that created a 57-hectare
watershed. Far from looking
like a golf course, the area is
complete with small hills, called
hummocks, and valleys that
are designed to allow rain and
snowmelt to flow over the land.
The showpiece of the area is a
17-hectare boreal wetland fen
the first recreated fen in the
entire Wood Buffalo region.
Fen watersheds are a critical
component of the boreal forest
and occur naturally in the area.
Migratory birds and waterfowl,
as well as a diverse range of
plants and animals, depend on
these peat-forming wetlands
for their survival. Years of
research went into the creation
136
of Syncrudes Sandhill Fen

Watershed. Syncrude and
its research team first used
recycled forest floor materials to
create the hummocks because
the materials contain seeds
from blueberry, bearberry and
cranberry plants that will help
sustain new life in the area.
The company also transplanted live peat vegetation
from other parts of Syncrudes
lease, where mining was due to
begin. The information we gain
from this large-scale project
will answer a variety of research
questions to guide our future
wetland reclamation efforts,
says Carla Wytrykush, an
environmental scientist with the
company. We want to address
a variety of components of
landform performance including hydrology, hydrogeology,
salt, water and carbon balance,
revegetation techniques and
vegetation establishment.
The end result is that Syncrude
has been able to recreate a
landscape that is native to the
area and that sustains native
plant and animal life.
SYNCRUDE
IN THE COMMUNITY
137
CORNERSTONE
NEIGHBOURS
138
DOUG WEBB
Local Roots
Foster Connections
Syncrudes head of Aboriginal procurement
knows the importance of being engaged in the
communities where the company operates
Syncrudes annual procurement

with them had reached $146
million by 2012. While
Syncrude was happy with what
we had accomplished up until
that point, we decided not to
rest on our laurels, and instead
aimed to see how much more
we can do, says Webb. If
theres opportunity, we want to
be aware of it. That thinking
led to a 27 per cent increase in
2013, to $186 million. Currently,
Syncrude has contracts with
Aboriginal suppliers covering
everything from labour needs to
engineering, warehousing and
computer programming.
Webbs job is what he calls
fluid he reports to Syncrudes
Aboriginal Steering Committee
as well as various other committees and management teams in
Syncrude and the community.
He describes his job as breaking
down walls between the company and these communities. It
can be very difficult, he says. It
takes always being a force in the
community, being recognized.
People know they can come and
see me and we can try and do
something.
Webb is still not resting on his
laurels: I think in the coming
years there will be a significant
positive impact on the Aboriginal
business community through
Syncrude, he says. Thats what
were trying to develop.
Doug Webb,
local champion
FAST FACT:
The Wood Buffalo

Environmental
Association monitors
the air in the Fort
McMurray region,
24 hours per day,
365 days a year.
Source: CAPP
ment positions. The recruiter

at the time said there would be
opportunity to develop, says
Webb. That worked out really
well. He worked as a mechanic
for 26 years. I enjoy being a technician, he says. But that can be
hard on the body, and as you get
older you need to start thinking
about what else you can do.
In 2012, Webb moved on
to his next role at Syncrude,
acting as the Aboriginal business
liaison between the company and
Aboriginal-owned businesses in
the community. Its his job to find
Aboriginal opportunities within
the contracts that Syncrude needs
to fill throughout the year. When
Syncrude needs vendors that can
do a certain kind of work, they
come to me and ask if theres
an Aboriginal business that can
help. My job is to bring them
together, says Webb. I grew up
here, and know a lot of the people
in business now. I went to school
with several people who are now
owners of Aboriginal businesses.
Some very successful Aboriginal businesses have been born
through Syncrudes commitment
to work with them, including
Dave Tuccaros Neegan Technical
Services Ltd. Neegan went
from a small company to a now
multimillion-dollar company,
Webb says.
Reflecting increased capacity among Aboriginal firms,
DOUG WEBBS INFLUENCE

in Fort McMurray is just as much
a product of family as it is hard
work and dedication.
When he was growing up,
Webbs mom spent 25 years in
Fort McMurray and its surrounding First Nations communities
as a counsellor with the Native
Counselling Services of Alberta.
She did everything from giving
legal advice to translating
language. And she forged
connections in the communities
that would extend through
generations. Now, her son follows
in her footsteps, working to build
connections as an intermediary
between Aboriginal businesses
and Syncrude. If they dont
know me personally, they know
my mom, says Webb. So people
are receptive to talking with me.
Webb started working at
Syncrude 28 years ago, as a
labourer right out of high school.
It was new and progressive, he
says. They seemed to be on the
forefront of Aboriginal hiring
with their Aboriginal program.
Webb enrolled in that Aboriginal
program, spending time training
in analysis of oil sands core
samples before taking on a role
in the automotive shop as a mechanic apprentice. All of Webbs
Aboriginal employee peers from
that era have remained with
Syncrude and some have moved
up to leadership and manage-
When
Syncrude
needs vendors
that can do a
certain kind
of work, they
come to
me and ask
if theres an
Aboriginal
business that
can help.
My job is to
bring them
together.
SYNCRUDE
BY Lyndsie Bourgon PHOTOGRAPHY BY Joey Podlubny
139
CORNERSTONE
Road to Strong
140
REASON FOR OPTIMISM:

Syncrude chair Ryan Kubik believes the company
can build on its successes.
RETURNS
Syncrude joint venture participant
Canadian Oil Sands Limited believes
solid project management will pave
the road to the future
-Ryan Kubik,
chair of the board
this business viable its a technological marvel,

Kubik says. He points to the companys development of wet crushing in its newest mine trains and
energy efficiency initiatives as examples of how the
companys continuous investment in technology
has aided its overall business. Syncrude uses about
one-third as much energy to get the same bitumen
out of the ground as SAGD, he says. The company
also recovers 90 per cent or more of the bitumen
out of the ore it mines, which is a high recovery
rate. The introduction of Syncrudes wet crushing
technology is aimed at further improving bitumen
recovery. Syncrude innovations such as low energy
extraction and hydrotransport have improved
energy efficiency in our operation. Thats been
driven by economics, but it also means that youre
reducing your environmental footprint.
Efficient operations generally have the added
benefit of strong financial performance and
Syncrude is no different. Kubiks company, Canadian Oil Sands, owns 36.74 per cent of the Syncrude
joint venture and he notes it has generated a total
compound return for its investors averaging 14 per
cent annually since 2001. Its a significant return
and a strong return relative to other investments out
there, Kubik says. It really has come into its own.
Its been an interesting evolution if you think of
Syncrude and its history because it started out as
more of an experimental project and it continues to
be technology-based. But it became a project that generates great results for its investors and an important
part of the Canadian economy, Kubik says.
With continued excellence in project management, Kubik aims to keep those returns coming.
E LIKE WELL-EXECUTED
projects, Ryan Kubik says
of the investor perspective
on Syncrude.
For Kubik, chair of
Syncrudes board of
directors and also CEO of
joint venture participant Canadian Oil Sands Ltd.,
thats what makes a leader in the challenging oil
sands industry.
Kubik is referring to Syncrudes Aurora North
Mine Train Relocation project, which was completed months ahead of schedule and substantially
under budget. Its a somewhat unusual thing to
bring projects in under budget in the current oil
sands environment, he says.
Were going to be constructing similar facilities
going forward, says Kubik. We can take that
knowledge and experience, apply it and use it to
control the costs of future developments. Its a
positive indication of where we can go with future
capital and controlling future costs.
In fact, Kubik expects that as new Syncrudedeveloped technologies come online, the company
will be able to deliver increasingly strong results.
One of the most interesting things that were
doing with this new capital is to incorporate some
new technology, Kubik says. Over the last 50
years, Syncrude has been a demonstrated technology leader when it comes to both production
processes and environmental improvements.
Its easy to forget that this is a technology-based
industry, but Syncrude has helped invent this
business and it really is technology that is making
Syncrude
really has
come into
its own,
with great
results for its
investors and
an important
part of the
Canadian
economy.
SYNCRUDE
BY Martin Dover PHOTOGRAPH BY Brian Buchsdruecker
141
The Local Oil Sands
COMPANY
Scott Sullivan says
Syncrudes success
is rooted in its
commitment to
community
142
CONTINUED LEADERSHIP:
Former Syncrude president and CEO Scott Sullivan believes
the company will continue to lead the oil sands industry in
community relations and environmental stewardship.
PHOTO: BLUEFISH STUDIOS INC.
CORNERSTONE
BY Martin Dover
YNCRUDE IS A
proven leader
in the oil sands
industry, but what
sets it apart? For
Scott Sullivan,
who served as its
president and CEO until earlier
this year, it means maintaining
the companys position as a
community-focused oil sands
producer. Syncrudes head office
and executive team are based
in the Regional Municipality of
Wood Buffalo, and Sullivan says,
We get great value out of being
a local company. Back in the day,
Fort McMurray was a very small
community and we were very
much a part of that community.
In a way, we are Fort McMurray
because we grew up together.
Over the course of 50 years,
and as Syncrudes northeastern
Alberta workforce has grown,
the company has encouraged
its employees to live in Fort
McMurray. In its early years it
built neighbourhoods through a
housing division called Northward
Developments, helping incoming
employees find places to live.
Sullivan says that over the
course of time, and through efforts
like the Good Neighbours grant
program for employees who are
community volunteers, Syncrude
has established itself as a leading
company in the region. Today,
he says, Syncrude has redoubled
its community relations efforts.
The company gives generously to
local causes, and has established a
Housing Support Program to help
its workforce purchase property in
Fort McMurray, and enable them
to make a long-term commitment
to the community.
The company has also strengthened its Aboriginal relations
efforts, with donations to Elder
Care facilities in Fort McKay and
Fort Chipewyan; the $2-million
Syncrude Aboriginal Trades
Program at Keyano College; and
the money it spends on procurement from Aboriginal-owned
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Highway Maintenance
Snow Clearing Services
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Fort McMurray, AB Phone 780-743-1881 www.wilson-industries.com
Reclamation
is a long-term
process.
Working
closely
together with
Aboriginal
stakeholders
is important.
-Scott Sullivan,
former Syncrude
CEO
FAST FACT:
CORNERSTONE
About 173 billion barrels

of Canadas oil reserves
(about 97%) is oil sands.
Source: Petroleum
Human Resources
Council of Canada.
144
businesses, which helps grow local success stories

like Aboriginal-business legend Dave Tuccaro,
who owns a group of companies including Neegan
Technical Services Ltd.
Syncrude is also drawing on traditional land
use knowledge from local Aboriginal elders as the
company executes its reclamation projects, reintroducing indigenous and culturally important plants
like ratroot, buffalo berry and low-bush cranberries
to reclaimed landscapes.
Its just a good example of pulling the community together in a positive way to recognize that
we can return the land we use to a very usable
landscape for our stakeholders when were done,
Sullivan says. Reclamation is a long-term process
so working very closely with our Aboriginal
stakeholders is quite important.
Sullivan says that Syncrudes philosophy of
continuous investment in research and development allows the company to maintain its place as
a technology and operations leader. Right now, the

company is investing about $3 billion in tailings
management projects, including centrifuged,
composite and water-capped tailings. Sullivan
believes these investments will play a vital role
in helping Syncrude meet its commitments to
reducing its environmental impact, complying with
Albertas Directive 74 on fine tailings capture, and
accelerating the pace of reclamation. Its driven by
our desire to continuously improve in every part of
our business, including our environmental performance, Sullivan says. Were spending $50 to $60
million per year in our own R&D initiatives here to
help us continue that journey.
As Sullivan calls it, the local oil sands company
has grown up with Fort McMurray. Inspired by the
success of its first 50 years, Syncrude will continue
to improve and even grow. Thats a good thing
for its owners, its partners and the people in the
community who benefit from its work.
CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 AMAZING YEARS

It is partners like Syncrude who inspire us to lead the way in customer
service, and we are honoured to provide them with everything they need
to keep their business going, and help make it even better.
Vallen: If youre looking to create a safe, healthy and productive
workplace, well help you work smart. From all of us to you,
congratulations on 50 amazing years, and more to come.
Safety | Industrial | Janitorial | Technical Services vallen.ca
BY THE NUMBERS
Syncrude employees have consistently set new record contributions to annual

campaigns for United Way Fort McMurray. In 2013, they set yet another one,
raising $2.46 million during the United Way Employee Campaign. The original
goal was $2 million, and the record-setting amount included a $430,000
donation from Syncrude.
Current reclamation projects include
Syncrudes former East Mine, an
approximately 11.5-square-kilometre
area bordered by Highway 63. Part of
the original operation when Syncrude
began production in 1978, reclamation began in 2000 using composite
tailings technology.
Over the past 16 years, Aboriginal-owned

companies in the Wood Buffalo region
have earned more than $6 billion in
revenue. Source: OSDG 2012
Wood Buffalo and Lac La Biche Aboriginal-

owned companies performed over
$1 billion in contract work with OSDG
members in 2011. Source: OSDG 2012
Find out more at syncrudesustainability.com
Understanding early on that reclamation would be integral part of its operation,

Syncrude commenced environmental baseline monitoring even before production. Working to ensure that reclaimed land would be as productive as it was prior
to disturbance has paid off, as the company is now recognized as a leader in land
reclamation. To date, Syncrude has permanently reclaimed over 3,300 hectares
of land and planted more than seven million trees and shrubs.
3,300 HECTARES OF LAND RECLAIMED

7 MILLION TREES AND SHRUBS PLANTED
1992: SYNCRUDE PLANTED ITS MILLIONTH TREE
SYNCRUDE OWNERSHIP: 1964-2014

Syncrudes joint venture owners have changed many times over its 50-year
history. Shown here are the owners at its inception in 1964, when it commenced production in 1978, and today.
CORNERSTONE
1964:
Cities Service Athabasca Inc. 30%
Imperial Oil 30%
Richfield Oil Corp. 30%
Royalite Oil Co. Ltd. 10%
146
1978:
Province of Ontario 5%
Province of Alberta 10%
Government of Canada 15%
Gulf Oil Canada Ltd. 16.75%
Canada-Cities Service Ltd. 22%
Imperial Oil Limited 31.25%
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SYNCRUDE

JOINT VENTURE (2014):
Mocal Energy Limited 5%
Murphy Oil Company Ltd. 5%
Nexen Oil Sands Partnership 7.23%
Sinopec Oil Sands
Partnership 9.03%
Suncor Energy Ventures
Partnership 12%
Imperial Oil Resources 25%
Canadian Oil Sands
Partnership #1 36.74%
SHOWING THE WAY

Every year, Syncrude produces Pathways,
a publication that showcases the achievements and successes and of local, provincial and national Aboriginal people. It also
acts as an annual review of the companys
Aboriginal relations program. The magazine assesses the company on six commitment areas. Its available at syncrude.ca
Norman Wells
Fort Chipewyan
Fort McMurray
Deer Lake
Edmonton
Comox
St. Johns
Kamloops
Calgary
Vancouver
Kelowna
Saskatoon
Moncton
Winnipeg
Sydney
Halifax
Thunder Bay
Ottawa
London
Montreal
Hamilton
Weve upgraded your commute

with convenient y-in y-out charter services.
Canadian Norths upgrader spans across Canada
and into the heart of the Alberta oil sands.
Congratulations Syncrude on 50 successful years!
Charters 1.403.479.5556 canadiannorth.com

Cornerstone Syncrude 2014

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CORNERSTONE

SYNCRUDE CELEBR ATES 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Syncrude has grown up

The PCL family of companies congratulates Syncrude Canada on 50 years

Over 23 years of collaboration and

Put us to work for

Celebrating 50 years of employee-powered growth.

CONGRATULATING SYNCRUDE CANADA

Interact with us:

Nalco Champion has worked closely with Syncrude

1964 WAS A GREAT

Congratulations Syncrude, were honoured to tip our hard hat to you.

A MESSAGE FROM CANADAS OIL SANDS PRODUCERS.

136 YESTERDAYS OIL SANDS

Celebrating 50 years of excellence

127 A CLEAR SOLUTION

OH, GIVE THEM A HOME

42 THE WONDER YEARS

Three generations of the Bourque

Syncrude Aboriginal Trades

Researchers around the world

48 FROM COAST TO COAST

140 THE ROAD TO

142 THE LOCAL OIL

102 QUANTITY MEETS

FIT FOR ALL SEASONS

BETTER THAN PAR

125 THE MAKING OF AN ICON

146 CRUDE STATISTICS

A numerical look at Syncrudes

THE EARLY YEARS

100 THE 2000s

TODAY & TOMORROW

Celebrating 50 years of excellence

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON

Syncrude for Fifty Successful Years

BUILT TO WITHSTAND THE OIL SANDS

ESCO Fort McMurray

Syncrude is one of the largest producers of crude

We will maintain our current level

certificate from the Alberta government

CLAC Congratulates Syncrude on its 50th Anniversary!

WHEREVER THERES MINING.

I got my first house through

by employee volunteers and

Celebrating 50 years of excellence

BETWEEN 1964 AND 1981,

PHOTO: JOEY PODLUBNY

WHEN MICHELLE BAILEY

A PLACE TO CALL HOME:

Fort McMurrays average

Since the Syncrude joint

in establishing and growing Fort

workers are huge. Its imperative

NO FLY ZONE: Syncrude encourages its employees to live in

For us, this

PHOTO: JOHN GAUCHER

Three generations of the Bourque family

THERE ARE 52 YEARS

grandfather and me, to still be

he didnt see the type of job and

Oil travels through a

Lawrences wife, Luci, worked

move around and not have to leave