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Heavy Oil Ready For Prime Time
"It would be a dream come true", says Vic Juba, one of the principals
bringing a world class Interpretive Centre to Lloydminster. Juba, and friend Bill Kondro,
were part of a group which fifteen years ago began talking about a Centre to salute the
achievements in the Heavy Oil Industry. However, the idea "sanded in" and
remained just an intriguing possibility for "someday".
Then, about two years ago, the idea got a frac-like shot of high powered energy when
the Lloydminster Oilfield Technical Society (OTS) authorized a sub-committee to pursue it.
Leading that charge were Kirby Hayes and friends, Bob Day and Glenn "Otis"
Rusling, and soon things were happening. Hayes exemplifies the optimism of the group;
"When I see our OTS Heavy Oil show here in September being sold out, expanded and
then sold out again - when I see CIM symposiums attracting capacity crowds, when I see CIM
partnering with Lakeland College to offer leading edge short courses in Heavy Oil, and
when this Interpretive Centre opens, I see Lloydminster being recognized as the Heavy Oil
centre of the world!"
It was such enthusiasm which led to an invitation to Westwind Design, of Calgary, a
company with lots of experience in creating state-of-the-art exhibits, displays and
interpretive centres to prepare a detailed proposal. Foster Learning Inc., of
Lloydminster, supplied information research and development. A web-site was created as a
means for sharing information and developing ideas. [see www.LloydminsterHeavyOil.com]
Almost 2,000 sq. ft. of space was ear-marked at Lloydminster’s Barr Colony Heritage
and Cultural Centre. In short, the idea began to be clothed in reality.
Following a public meeting in August 1997 to review a detailed proposal, including
drawings; fund raising was kicked off by an OTS donation of $150,000. Other donors quickly
caught the excitement and today over two-thirds of the $748,000 budget has been raised,
entirely from the industry itself.
Industry only fund raising is just one of the unique elements of the Centre as
envisaged by its design team. The Centre will explain and inform visitors about every
aspect of the heavy oil industry - from exploration and drilling, through workovers and
transport, to refining and community impacts. It will convey its message using interactive
displays, computer simulations, multimedia presentations, and Internet connectivity. In
short, it will be state-of-the-art. Everyone who experiences the Centre will come away
inspired by the innovations and contributions of those who faced down the challenges of
heavy oil, whether those visitors are school children or industry insiders. As well, while
there will be a deserving tribute to the pioneers and builders who began the heavy oil
industry, the Centre will also portray the exciting happenings of today, such as
directional drilling, enhanced recovery techniques, and breakthroughs in pumping
technology.
Despite the partial slowdown in the oil sector, Juba and Hayes are more excited than
ever about completing the fund raising efforts and being able to announce the official
"spudding in" of construction of the Centre. While Juba says he has had
expressions of interest from the Government of Saskatchewan, the Centre may still be
financed entirely by the industry itself. Hayes stresses that individual donations as
small as $1,000 will be accepted and will contribute to the successful launch of the
project. All contributors will be acknowledged in several ways over the life of the
project.
"When people recognize all that’s happening in Heavy Oil, and the
Interpretive Centre opens as the centrepiece of all that is happening, there’s going
to be one heck of a lot of people wishing they had been on board," says Hayes. And
it’s hard to resist Hayes’ optimism. The OTS Heavy Oil Science Centre promises
to be a major event in the development of the heavy oil industry. When an industry is
mature enough to salute its past, celebrate its present, and build a legacy for the
future, then that industry has definitely come of age. Heavy Oil has been there, and done
that!
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