The Pathways Alliance, a consortium of oil sands companies striving for net-zero emissions by 2025, has officially rebranded itself as the Oil Sands Alliance. This change aims to clarify the group’s extensive focus beyond merely carbon capture initiatives, according to president Kendall Dilling. The rebranding comes at a crucial time as the group seeks to bolster its identity and communicate its comprehensive environmental efforts more effectively.
Emphasising Comprehensive Environmental Efforts
In an interview on Friday, Dilling explained that while the Pathways Project, which focuses on carbon capture and storage (CCS), has been a significant undertaking, the alliance has always engaged in a variety of environmental stewardship activities. “From day one, we’ve been the full-service industry association for oil sands,” he stated. The group has actively participated in initiatives that encompass air and water protection, biodiversity preservation, land-use planning, and reclamation.
Dilling noted that the single Pathways label had led to confusion among stakeholders, who primarily associate it with the carbon capture project central to the group’s emissions-reduction strategy. “We incubated everything under the single Pathways banner for a long time,” he added, indicating that the alliance’s evolution necessitated a distinct identity to reflect its broader objectives.
Advancing Carbon Capture Initiatives
The CCS initiative is particularly ambitious, featuring a 400-kilometre pipeline designed to transport captured carbon from oil-sands facilities to a hub near Cold Lake, Alberta. This project aims to achieve a reduction of 22 megatonnes of emissions annually. As the initiative progresses to more advanced stages of technical and engineering design, the alliance is actively filing regulatory applications and consulting with relevant stakeholders.
While the financial framework for this extensive project remains uncertain, Dilling refrained from disclosing specific commitments from member companies, citing confidentiality. However, he assured that discussions with both the federal and Alberta governments are ongoing, with all parties eager to see the project come to fruition.
A National Interest Project
Dilling emphasised that the alliance’s ambitions extend beyond carbon capture, highlighting the need to enhance oil-sands production and facilitate access to international markets through new pipeline developments. He described this endeavour as a “massive national interest project” that has the potential to significantly influence Canada’s economic landscape.
“If we do Pathways, and you build a new pipeline, and you add a million barrels a day of production to fill it, that is massive,” he stated, underscoring the project’s potential to generate over $100 billion in capital investment alongside substantial job creation and a robust supply chain.
The memorandum of understanding between Ottawa and Alberta includes a commitment to collaborate with Pathways partner companies to create a trilateral agreement by April 1, 2026. This agreement will focus on a multi-phased approach to emissions reduction projects, primarily centred around the CCS initiative and solvent-based production strategies.
Looking Ahead
When questioned about meeting the timeline outlined in the memorandum, Dilling acknowledged the industry’s focus on progress rather than specific deadlines. “From an industry perspective, we’re just heads down, working with urgency,” he said, indicating that while milestones are important, the scope and scale of the project will require ongoing efforts beyond the anticipated timeline.
Why it Matters
The rebranding of the Pathways Alliance to the Oil Sands Alliance signifies a pivotal shift in how the group intends to communicate its broader objectives within the oil sands sector. As Canada continues to grapple with its commitment to emissions reduction amidst the growing pressures of climate change, the alliance’s success in balancing increased production with environmental stewardship could serve as a model for other industries. This initiative not only holds potential economic benefits but also plays a critical role in shaping the future of sustainable energy practices in Canada.
