Oil Sands Jobs: What Work is Available in the Oil Sands Industry?

Canada’s oil sands economy

The number of oil sands jobs in Canada reached a peak in early 2014.¹ However, global oil prices dropped by 70 per cent between mid-2014 and 2016.² Jurisdictions with undiversified exports, such as Alberta, which relies heavily on its oil sands industry, were badly hit.³ As a result, Canada’s oil and gas industry terminated an estimated 53,119 jobs between 2014 and 2019.⁴ 

By March 2020, Alberta’s economy had still not recovered.⁵ An oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia in early 2020 plunged crude prices down once again.⁶ The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation. The demand for fuel collapsed, and the world took an economic downturn.⁷ For Alberta’s oil sands industry, the situation was nothing short of a crisis.⁸ 

Will Alberta’s oil sands industry expand?

From January 2019 until December 2020, the production of oil in Alberta curtailed.⁹ This was to protect the value of Canadian oil by preventing it from being sold at large discounts.¹⁰ Monthly limits have since been lifted for 2021.¹¹ However, the industry has already suffered a significant blow to expansion plans this year. 

One of Joe Biden’s first acts as President was to cancel the US portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.¹² The USD $8 billion project was intended to carry over 800,000 barrels of bitumen per day from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries in Texas.¹³ This would have had a devastating environmental impact. Oil sands’ crude produces approximately 31 per cent more greenhouse emissions than conventional crude.¹⁴ The cancellation has cost about 1,000 temporary construction jobs in Canada.¹⁵ It is also predicted to stifle investment and production growth in Alberta’s oil sands for years to come.¹⁶ 

How to get a job working in oil sands

Of course, plenty of jobs remain in Canada’s oil sands. Approximately 175,040 workers were employed in Canada’s oil and gas industry in December 2020.¹⁷ Sites like OilJobFinder help those who are interested in finding employment.¹⁸ Alberta’s mining, oil and gas extraction industry’s average hourly wage was CAD $42.80 in 2016.¹⁹ This was well above the provincial average of CAD $29.61, and it continues to draw workers from Canada and abroad.²⁰ 

How to get a job in Alberta’s oil sands

To get a job in Alberta’s oil sands, it helps to have either engineering skills or an education in geosciences.²¹ But, there are a variety of roles available. The oil sands capital, Fort McMurray, has a population of about 66,500.²² It, therefore, relies upon migration to fill all the oil sands jobs. Positions range from manual labour, such as welders and pipefitters, to highly qualified computer system analysts and geologists.²³ Applying directly to the companies invested in Alberta’s oil sands is the best way to find employment.

For a similar article, please see here.

1. Parkland Institute. (n.d.). The Future of Alberta’s Oil Sands Industry: More Production, Less Capital, Fewer Jobs. [online] Available at: https://www.parklandinstitute.ca/the_future_of_albertas_oil_sands_industry.
2. Parker, T. (2019). The Global Collapse of Oil Prices. [online] BTA – Building Trades of Alberta. Available at: https://bta.ca/global-collapse-of-oil-prices/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
3. Parker, T. (2019). The Global Collapse of Oil Prices. [online] BTA – Building Trades of Alberta. Available at: https://bta.ca/global-collapse-of-oil-prices/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
4. Parkland Institute. (n.d.). The Future of Alberta’s Oil Sands Industry: More Production, Less Capital, Fewer Jobs. [online] Available at: https://www.parklandinstitute.ca/the_future_of_albertas_oil_sands_industry.
5. Western Canada: Oil price crash sends Alberta’s economy back into crisis. (n.d.). The Globe and Mail. [online] Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-western-canada-oil-price-crash-sends-albertas-economy-back-into/.
6. Oil price war will last months, experts say, adding “pain” to Canada’s oilpatch | CBC News. (n.d.). CBC. [online] Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oil-price-war-impacts-on-canada-1.5505640 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
7. World Bank. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on Commodity Markets Heaviest on Energy Prices; Lower Oil Demand Likely to Persist Beyond 2021. [online] Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/10/22/impact-of-covid-19-on-commodity-markets-heaviest-on-energy-prices-lower-oil-demand-likely-to-persist-beyond-2021.
8. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. (2020). Between COVID-19 and a price war, Canada’s oil patch is on life support. [online] Available at: https://thebulletin.org/2020/03/between-covid-19-and-a-price-war-canadas-oil-patch-is-on-life-support/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
9. www.alberta.ca. (n.d.). Oil production limit. [online] Available at: https://www.alberta.ca/oil-production-limit.aspx.
10. www.alberta.ca. (n.d.). Oil production limit. [online] Available at: https://www.alberta.ca/oil-production-limit.aspx.
11. www.alberta.ca. (n.d.). Oil production limit. [online] Available at: https://www.alberta.ca/oil-production-limit.aspx.
12. www.ft.com. (n.d.). Subscribe to read | Financial Times. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/be262b55-4209-43c3-9df6-a73bb09ae029 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
13. www.ft.com. (n.d.). Subscribe to read | Financial Times. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/be262b55-4209-43c3-9df6-a73bb09ae029 [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
14. Institute, P. (n.d.). The Real GHG trend: Oilsands among the most carbon intensive crudes in North America. [online] Pembina Institute. Available at: https://www.pembina.org/blog/real-ghg-trend-oilsands#:~:text=The%20Carnegie%20Endowment [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
15. the Guardian. (2021). Alberta leader says Biden’s move to cancel Keystone pipeline a “gut punch.” [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/27/alberta-leader-says-bidens-move-to-cancel-keystone-pipeline-a-gut-punch [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
16. Global News. (n.d.). Keystone XL cancelling will stifle Canada’s oil industry for years: experts. [online] Available at: https://globalnews.ca/news/7591631/keystone-xl-cancelling-effect-canada/.
17. careersinoilandgas.com. (n.d.). Employment + Labour Data. [online] Available at: https://careersinoilandgas.com/what-is-lmi/employment-labour-data/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
18. www.oiljobfinder.com. (n.d.). Find Oil and Gas Jobs | Oilfield Positions | OilJobFinder. [online] Available at: https://www.oiljobfinder.com/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].
19. alis.alberta.ca. (n.d.). Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction: Industries in Alberta – alis. [online] Available at: https://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/industry-profiles/mining-and-oil-and-gas-extraction/.
20. alis.alberta.ca. (n.d.). Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction: Industries in Alberta – alis. [online] Available at: https://alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/industry-profiles/mining-and-oil-and-gas-extraction/.
21. www.oiljobfinder.com. (n.d.). Oil Sands Jobs in Canada | Alberta Oil and Gas Jobs. [online] Available at: https://www.oiljobfinder.com/albertaoilsands.php.
22. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2016). Census Profile, 2016 Census – Fort McMurray [Population centre], Alberta and Saskatchewan [Province]. [online] Statcan.gc.ca. Available at: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0292&Geo2=PR&Code2=47&Data=Count&SearchText=FortMcMurray&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&wbdisable=true.
23. JobMonkey. (n.d.). Oil Sands Jobs. [online] Available at: https://www.jobmonkey.com/oilindustry/oil_sands_jobs/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2021].