Industry stakeholders

The energy resources sector includes a number of industry associations and organizations in Alberta and across Canada who share research, best practices information and technological expertise.

Alberta organizations

  • Alberta Energy: Alberta Energy is the provincial government department that oversees energy resource development and use in Alberta. The Alberta Energy website has detailed information on Alberta's diverse natural energy resources.

  • Alberta Environment: Learn about provincial initiatives to exercise environmentally responsible energy resource development.

  • Alberta Finance and Enterprise: The Enterprise Division of Finance and Enterprise provides economic development information on AlbertaCanada.com and regional economic development information through the ministry website.

  • Alberta Geological Survey (AGS): The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) researches and delivers geological knowledge about Alberta land and natural resources through various programs. The AGS Resource Geology program is focused on advising Alberta government agencies about natural resources.

  • Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD): Find out about the role SRD plays in working towards fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible natural energy resource management in Alberta.

  • Alberta Industrial Heartland Association: Industry, the Alberta Government and the central Alberta municipalities of Fort Saskatchewan, Lamont County, Strathcona County and Sturgeon County have partnered to foster regional industrial investment and development. To date, over CDN$25 billion in metals, minerals petroleum and petrochemical processing facilities has been invested in this region.

  • Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA): APEGGA is a professional association responsible for regulating the practice of engineering, geology and geophysics in Alberta as outlined in the province's Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act.

  • Environmental Services Association of Alberta (ESAA): The ESAA is a non-profit business association that provides education, networking, and training for member companies seeking to maintain environmental integrity while pursuing their business activities.

  • Petroleum Joint Venture Association (PJVA): The PJVA is a forum of individuals and companies in the Alberta petroleum industry. The mandate of the PJVA is to represent and support petroleum industry producers involved in petroleum joint ventures.

  • Oil Sands Developers Group: The Oil Sands Developers Group (OSDG), formerly known as the Athabasca Regional Issues Working Group (RIWG), works closely with oil sands operators and developers, related industries, government, Aboriginal peoples, and other organizations active in the Athabasca oil sands region to define and address regional issues related to oil sands development.

  • Oil Sands Secretariat (OSS): The Oil Sands Sustainable Development Secretariat was created by the Government of Alberta in the summer of 2007 to address rapid growth issues in the oil sands regions of Alberta.

Canadian organizations

  • Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC): The CAODC is a trade association of Canadian drilling and service rig contractors, with a mandate to represent, inform and develop industry standards for its member individuals and organizations.

  • Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP): CAPP is an industry association focused on fostering sustainable and responsible economic growth in the Canadian upstream petroleum industry.

  • Canadian Centre for Energy Information: The Canadian Centre for Energy Information is a Calgary-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing accurate, up-to-date information on all branches of Canada's energy sector.

  • Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA): CEPA represents Canadian transmission pipeline companies in government regulation development, best practices promotion, and public policy research to ensure safe, financially sound, and environmentally responsible energy transportation in Canada.

  • Canadian Gas Association (CGA): The CGA is an association of over 125 natural gas delivery industry companies, organizations and individuals partnered to promote the safe, reliable and environmentally sound distribution of natural gas products and services.

  • Canadian Heavy Oil Association (CHOA): The CHOA is an educational, technical and social forum for heavy oil and oil sands industry employees and associates.

  • Canadian Society for Unconventional Resources (CSUR): CSUR is a society created to facilitate information sharing and technology development in unconventional gas industries, such as the coalbed methane and shale gas industries.

  • Coal Association of Canada (CAC): The CAC represents companies involved in coal exploration, development, use and transportation, and promotes coal use, industry consensus on policy issues and information sharing among member individuals and organizations.

  • Gas Processing Association Canada (GPAC): The GPAC is a non-profit entity that promotes information and technology sharing among hydrocarbon industry producers and associates.

  • Natural Resources Canada (NRCan): Learn about NRCan and the role it plays in encouraging the sustainable development of Canada's natural resources.

  • Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC): The PSAC is a national trade association of the upstream petroleum industry's service, supply and manufacturing sectors, and acts as an advocate of industry interests.

  • Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC): PTAC is a not-for-profit association that works toward collaborative research, development and commercial technology transfer in the upstream oil and gas industry.

  • Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (SEPAC): SEPAC is an association of emerging and junior oil and gas companies in Canada, and works to promote the interests of the emerging segment of the Canadian oil and gas sector.

Research institutes

The following is a list of research institutes specializing in or associated with research and development for the energy sector in the Province of Alberta and across Canada. For more details, visit each institute's website.

  • Alberta Innovates - Energy and Environment Solutions: Formerly the Alberta Energy Research Institute, this Government of Alberta-led organization collaborates with industry to help develop innovative and integrated ways to convert Alberta's natural resources into market-ready, ecologically responsible energy.

  • Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures: This provincially funded organization builds on the work of the former Alberta Research Council by helping technical industries develop products and move technologies to market.

  • Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. (ASRL): ASRL is a non-profit organization specializing in sulphur research. ASRL acts as a liaison between sulphur producers and academic researchers, as well as a technological support for industry producers and product users.

  • Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI): CERI is a non-profit research institute that serves industrial, governmental and educational organizations in the research of energy economics and environmental policy issues.

  • Enform: Enform serves as the Canadian upstream petroleum industry's training, certification, and health and safety services centre.

  • University of Alberta: The University of Alberta has developed a number of academic and affiliate research institutes focused on the energy industry. These organizations provide valuable energy sector research to energy providers and associates. 

  • Canadian Petroleum Products Institute: The Canadian Petroleum Products Institute is a not for profit organization that provides energy sector training and consulting services, linking experts from Canada's energy sector with energy providers worldwide.

  • Institute for Geophysical Research: The Institute for Geophysical Research is a collaborative effort of three University of Alberta Departments: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Physics and Mathematics. The Mandate of the Institute is to advance geophysical studies at the University, and to promote training and information sharing in the community.

  • School of Energy and the Environment (SEE): SEE is affiliated with the Canada School of Sustainable Energy, and focuses its research on developing sustainable energy resources while minimizing environmental impact.

  • University of Calgary: The University of Calgary is the location of several research institutes focused on issues in the energy sector.

  • Consortium for Heavy Oil Research by University Scientists (CHORUS): CHORUS is a research consortium located at the University of Calgary, and its research focuses on the maximizing methods of oil extraction from heavy oil and bitumen reserves.

  • Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE): ISEEE is a collaborative research institute in the University of Calgary, pursuing a mandate to research and educate on matters of sustainable energy development.

Date Updated:
RDP-2044