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Editor's Note: Following
is a report on the most recent APEGGA Council meeting, held
June 13 at the Westin Hotel in Calgary. This was the first
meeting of the 2002-2003 Council. Five meetings per year are
held, in Edmonton, Calgary and one of the branch communities.
The next meeting will be held Friday, Sept. 13, at the Grande
Prairie Inn in Grande Prairie.
An APEGGA inquiry has concluded that "significant problems"
exist in the evaluation and reporting of oil and gas reserves,
and that the industry knows and is concerned about them. Council
received the report of the inquiry, conducted by a subcommittee
of the Practice Review Board chaired by J.C. den Boer, P.Geol.,
P.Geoph.
Among the inquiry's recommendations are: that senior professionals
be held more accountable in their evaluations; that professionals
adopt the existing technical standards and definitions listed
in the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers Handbook;
and that a formal training program be instituted for individuals
and companies involved in the practice. It also recommends
that APEGGA's Practice Standards Committee prepare a standard
or guideline that "clearly presents APEGGA's expectations
and requirements."
APEGGA should "remain vigilant" in monitoring calls
to restrict professional practice in the area or attempts
at regulation by other organizations. Permit holders involved
in assessment and disclosure of oil and gas reserves should
institute a quality management process, says the report, which
came out of a request from the Alberta Securities Commission
for higher standards and more consistency in the practice.
At its September meeting, Council will look at potential action
items coming out of the report.
Business Plan Updated
Councillors, directors and managers met in Jasper in May to
help chart APEGGA's future, and now the priorities from that
strategic planning session are working their way into the
APEGGA Business Plan, Council heard. A draft of the updated
plan will come to Council in September, President Ron Tenove,
P.Eng., told Council during a presentation on highlights of
the Jasper retreat.
CCPE Addresses Shortfall
A combination of program cuts and assessment increases will
help the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers overcome
a shortfall caused by the elimination of revenues received
for a service it provides for the federal government. APEGGA
Council approved an increase of the current rate of $8.65
to $11.05 per member in 2004, to $13.45 in 2005, and to $15.45
in 2006. All provincial/territorial associations/ordre pay
an assessment of $8.65 per professional engineer member to
the national association, CCPE.
Council heard in April that both the CCPE and the Canadian
Council of Professional Geoscientists will no longer conduct
initial assessments of potential immigrants who plan to seek
licensure in Canada. The assessments, which look at the likelihood
of licensure but do not replace or influence the actual process,
were big money generators. The CCPE expects a shortfall of
$1.9 million this year and $3.2 million next year.
"We've had to take a hard look at our activities and
implement some cutbacks," said Fred Otto, P.Eng., one
of two Alberta CCPE directors. CCPE's Women in Engineering
and student activities will be reduced, and the CCPE board
will meet three times instead of four times a year. National
communications campaigns will be eliminated. Two national
boards will stand down and be replaced with committees.
"These are all unfortunate cutbacks," Mr. Otto said.
The dollar figures are smaller at the CCPG, but so is the
budget. The loss of income is $10,000 in 2002 and $18,000
in future years, said CCPG Director Bob Comer, P.Geoph. The
2002 budget, which is about $90,000, has been balanced by
eliminating the meeting of the Standards Board. The deficit
in 2003 will be $10,000 to $15,000 unless the assessment increases.
APEC Engineer Registry Supported
A new register of engineers in the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference
earned the support of APEGGA Council as a way of fostering
the use of the Association's professionals in the global marketplace.
The title of APEC engineer doesn't bind APEGGA to recognize
an outside engineer's credentials, Council heard. Nor does
it give the engineers any additional rights to practice in
Canada.
However, it does mean the engineers must meet certain criteria.
In addition to having completed an accredited or recognized
engineering program, the engineers must have been assessed
as eligible for independent practice within their own economy
and gained at least seven years practical experience since
graduation. They must have spent at least two years in responsible
charge of engineering work, and maintained their continuing
professional development at a satisfactory level.
Member countries in the program so far are Australia, Canada,
Hong Kong and China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand.
It's anticipated that about 50 applications a year will be
generated in Alberta. The Board of Examiners has agreed in
principle to become the APEC engineer evaluating body for
APEGGA.
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