The next few months are going to be an interesting and testing time for me. My academic research is complete and I’m off to work in the oil sands of northern Alberta (Canada). This means giving up a life of leisure and intellectual pursuit to take on a demanding role in this fast-growing and controversial industry. I plan to keep you posted on my thoughts, experiences and emotions as I make this transition and begin to experience, and hopefully understand, the people, the technology, the politics, and the impact this industry is having on all of us.
To change anything you have to understand it, and you need the ear of the people on the ground. The industry is booming now, but at the same time it faces huge challenges, retaining talent, learning to adopt and improve new technology, improving safety and environmental performance, and overcoming huge cost hurdles. Even bigger challenges are looming – climate regulations, public opinion, and in the long run, I believe, decreasing demand for polluting fuels and the need to transition to low or zero emission energy supply.
