have a small office, small
staff and low overhead.”
Another company owned
by Frog Lake First Nation —
and providing career oppor-
tunities for its community
members — is Frog Lake
Oilfield Services, which
works on behalf of FLERC
conducting onsite produc-
tion management. By allo-
cating jobs to the nation’s
youth, the company sup-
ports local sustainable development. Their
services include new well set-ups, sewer
and water line thawing, fencing and oilfield
maintenance. In addition, they provide em-
ployment to First Nations communities
outside of Frog Lake.
EAGER TO MOVE OIL TO
TIDEWATER
Oil remains key to FLERC’s growth and the
continued goal towards self-sustainability
for the Frog Lake First Nation. As prices
bounce back, Dion hopes to see production
double and even triple — “it would be nice
to get to 6,000 barrels a day,” he said. New
technology will continue to fuel expansion
in the oil sector, and there is a continued
push to export. FLERC is involved in talks
with the top 10 First Nations oil producers
in Canada in an effort to get landlocked oil
to tidewater, Dion said. By transporting oil
via pipeline to ocean ports, or “tidewater”
as they’re known in the industry, Canadian
oil producers could export the commodity
and see their market and revenue poten-
tial expand considerably.
“Right now Alberta needs to get oil to tide-
water,” Dion said. “We can’t count on the
U.S. as the only market. We’re pushing to
get these pipelines built to get jobs cre-
ated.”
This year, oil-producing First Nations ap-
proached the Canadian federal government
with a national energy strategy designed
to move natural resources, particularly
oil, to tidewater. A key part of the treaty
would ensure First Nations’ ownership of
pipelines and terminals, providing revenue
from increased oil production and sales for
the benefit of First Nations people across
the country.
In the meantime, FLERC continues to look
at opportunities to develop alternative en-
ergy sources, diving deeper into cogenera-
tion, considering wind power projects and
looking into solar power as another avenue
to pursue down the road.
SEPTEMBER 2016
H
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