Performance

What is OSLI?

The Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) is a collaborative network of companies operating in the Canadian oil sands. Each OSLI company develops its assets individually, but works collaboratively to achieve significant improvements in key performance areas: environmental sustainability, social well-being and economic viability.

To formalize this approach, in April 2010 ConocoPhillips Canada, Nexen Inc., Statoil Canada, Suncor Energy Inc. and Total E&P Canada Ltd. signed the OSLI Charter, agreeing to work collaboratively on non-competitive issues, and share research and best practices. Shell Canada joined in 2011.

Although OSLI was officially formed in 2010, early support for the collaborative concept resulted in OSLI’s first project launch in 2008. This was followed by a succession of pragmatic projects and out-of-the-box initiatives that will produce near-, mid-, and long-term changes in how Canada’s oil sands are developed. As a starting point for innovation and technology, OSLI will be a catalyst for overall industry improvements in surface mining and in situ oil sands development. In situ oil sands development primarily uses Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technology. SAGD involves drilling wells in parallel horizontal pairs. Steam is injected into the upper well to heat the reservoir until the bitumen is mobile and drains to the lower well and can be moved to the surface.

We’re About Performance

On this website, OSLI details progress made since our inception on projects in four areas where oil sands operators face pressing challenges: land stewardship, water use, technology innovation and sustainable communities.  In each area, OSLI identifies the challenge and an overall plan to address the challenge, as well as objectives and a series of signature projects undertaken to work toward our objectives.  Signature projects are those activities where OSLI has place the most effort at this point, but do not constitute the full range of projects and programs underway.

It is important to note that OSLI is a voluntary network of companies and often the results of the collaborative efforts undertaken cannot be measured by OSLI, but rather will be measured and reflected in the sustainable development reports of member companies.