People & Society

We are committed to respectfully engaging with local stakeholders and rightsholders to understand their values and interests, reduce the impact of our operations and proposed projects, and contribute to economic opportunities for them.  

We have developed a values and interest assessment (VIA) process to guide our relationships with those communities to create positive, sustainable outcomes. 

We seek early and continuous engagement with our stakeholders to build trust and develop mutually-beneficial relationships with them. 

For more than two decades, we have worked with Indigenous-owned businesses near our oil sands operation to develop local capacity.  

Surmont Oil Sands regularly engages with: 

  • Three First Nations  
    • The Cooperation and Mutual Benefits Agreement (CMBA) with Fort McMurray First Nation (FMFN) directs FMFN and ConocoPhillips to identify mutual areas of interest and benefit, and build trust, respect, and a formal commitment to a stronger relationship. 
  • Four Métis organizations 
  • Indigenous-owned business and industry groups  

Montney has established business working groups with: 

  • Halfway River First Nation 
  • Blueberry River First Nation  

Sharing Benefits 

Through engagement we share a variety of benefits with nearby communities.  These benefits include:  

  • Community investment  
  • Capacity building  
  • Local contracting opportunities
    • Our contractor selection process rewards companies that use local and Indigenous contractors and those that provide training such as certification courses. This affords short- and long-term economic benefits for our operations, areas of development and nearby communities. 

Industry and Multi-Stakeholder Groups 

We engage with government representatives, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, industry associations and the financial sector. We also participate in multi-stakeholder forums to gain diverse and valuable perspectives as we continuously work to improve our sustainable development programs and initiatives. 

Resources