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April 2011







Table of Contents

Five Years of Labour Bears Fruit: CEAMS Update

PJVA Membership Report: 2011

JV eStudies - Up and Running!


Table of Contents

Five Years of Labour Bears Fruit: CEAMS Update

Monday, May 2nd 2011, is a date many people, at both CEAMS and SAIT have waited 5 long years for. This is the date 52 EAM Graduates begin entering the Oil & Gas industry.

Since starting with CAPLA's guidance and assistance in 2005, reaching this date and having this number of EAM Graduates available for hire is a remarkable achievement; one that exceeds our greatest expectations.

It was only through the time and effort invested by almost 100 industry volunteers, the many professional educators at SAIT Polytechnic and the generous financial investment of Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus, ConocoPhillips, Devon, Encana, Enerplus and Suncor that we have collectively arrived at this point in time.

So, what can these graduates offer you, the hiring managers, your companies and the industry at large?

Here is what you can expect from these Graduates:
  • They arrive at your office virtually fluent in the language of the industry;
  • They have a broad based understanding of the energy business - the functions and responsibilities of the various departments and disciplines;
  • In addition to a broad understanding of the technical aspects, they have a very clear understanding of each of the "business" disciplines - Land (mineral, surface & contract), Joint Ventures, Operations Accounting and Wells/Facilities Asset Management; and where these disciplines, individually and collectively, play their role throughout the life-cycle of a well or facility.
  • Also critically important is their broad understanding of the regulatory and compliance requirements.
These Graduates are well qualified for junior positions in:
  • Mineral & Surface Land
  • Joint Ventures
  • Wells & Facilities
  • Fee Titles
  • Operations Accounting
  • Field Offices
  • Many administrative roles
All postings are free until 31 March 2011. After that date each posting is $400 or free to members. Check ceams.org for membership information.


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PJVA Membership Report: 2011

The 2010/2011 year has been an interesting and exciting one for PJVA. Membership numbers remain strong at 732, about even from last year's membership of 726, which was about 7% down from the previous year as a result of the downturn in our industry. This represents a drop of 16% from our highest membership year in 2007/08 when membership was 868. As a result, we are seeing less income from dues; however, we have budgeted accordingly. The society remains strong in membership levels and financial strength.

We have 9% of the membership involved in our certificate program which reflects some growth by individuals taking a proactive approach and learning from our skilled teachers in that program. As our director of education can explain in greater detail we are updating and advancing our entire continuing education program to make it easier in the future to learn about joint venture and secondly we have gone live with web-based learning for those busy individuals that find it easier to study at home.

This is the third year of our demographics survey and we are getting good response from this, with 70%-80% of the membership responding to the different questions. We have a very diverse education and interest perspective within our membership, with primary interest in accounting, admin and engineering representing 58% of the membership. Our membership is definitely aging, however this year are seeing a swing such that 40% are in the over 45 category and 61% under 45. We have 25% in the under 30 category which means we do have increased interest in our society from that demographic, which is a large increase from last year with only 10%. This shows we have growth in our membership with new people joining the discipline of Joint Ventures.

If anyone has ideas how to help our society grow and wants to become more involved please do not hesitate to contact me. The society provides numerous activities to get involved in to exchange ideas and to learn from others or from our guest speakers. We have excellent social events which provide great networking venues at our lunches, Christmas social, Stampede social and golf tournament. Our education program does the same by providing relevant material at our EMS sessions, courses and our continuing education courses. Our annual conference is a great event covering relevant ideas particular to the dynamics of our industry.

We added a members survey this year. The response however, has been less than what we get for our demographics, which could be a result of the survey not being a part of membership renewal. We are all busy but we do require your feedback so we can be an even better organization. Responses to date indicate we are keeping people happy and providing value for the membership dues. We are trying to find new directions to take our organization, such as developing more oil based and unconventional/shale gas agreements or courses.

To date, the membership survey represents 87 people, only 12% of our membership. The overall comments are that PJVA is doing a great job, excellent value for the membership cost, great networking, social events, opportunities for volunteering, learning from luncheons, courses, EMS, continuing education and mini info sessions. One item that was identified is the need for our organization to begin some form of a mentorship program, what that entails or becomes we will work on and have further discussions about this in the future.

Assist us in making PJVA even better - click here to take the membership survey.


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JV eStudies - Up and Running!

One of PJVA's newest initiatives, JV eStudies is an online education program designed to equip those involved in joint venture activities with the skills and knowledge they need.

Whether you're working directly in a joint venture function or in another discipline involved in joint venture activities, the PJVA online courses offer a unique opportunity from the recognized leader in developing and delivering joint venture education.

JV eStudies provides:
  • Up-to-date courses relevant to the Canadian oil and gas industry
  • A way to enhance your current skill set and understanding
  • Online flexibility delivered at your convenience
  • Cost effective way to get the training and knowledge needed
Promote JV eStudies in your office...
Download the promotional brochure. You can either print or forward copies to your associates.

Please note that these courses do not count toward the JV Certificate Program.


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PJVA was incorporated in 1985 to represent individuals and organizations involved in petroleum joint ventures. PJVA Joint Venture Views is written for you. Inside you will find articles about people active in the Association, articles in the Association, articles about current projects being worked on by the Association, information about coming events in the petroleum industry, courses and seminars offered and/or sponsored by the Association and some for people new to the industry.