‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the seasonally decorated house 

Not a creature was stirring, not even your night cream-lathered spouse; 

The synthetic fibre stockings were hung on the natural gas fireplace mantel with care, 

In hopes that petrochemical-based gifts would soon be placed there; 

The children were nestled all snuggling their poly-filled teddies, 

While remnants of freshly baked cookies danced in their bellies; 

And Ma in her nylon kerchief, and I in my fleece cap, 

Had just settled in our down alternative blanket for a long winter’s nap, 

When out on the fertilized lawn there arose such a clatter, 

I sprang from the upholstered bed to see what was the matter. 

Away to the fiberglass framed window I flew like a flash, 

Tore open the polyvinyl shutters and threw up the fabric sash. 

The moon on the driveway’s mountains of new-shoveled snow 

Gave the lustre of mid-day to cars and sports equipment stored below, 

When, what to my spectacled eyes should appear, 

But petroleum-based products our lives depend on, so dear, 

With a responsible industry that is keen to innovate, 

We recognize their contributions that make life so great. 

More rapid than F1 race cars these energy sources they came, 

Let’s whistle, and shout, and call them by name; 

“Now, Oil! Now, Gas! Now, Polypropylene and Hydrogen! 

On, Helium! On Plastic! On, Nylon and Nitrogen! 

From the music festival tickets wrapped underneath the tree! To the television playing holiday films on your wall! 

Now dash away flash away! Fuel and energize us all!” 

They speak not a word, and expect little thanks, 

Fill our vehicles with gasoline, and jet engine tanks, 

From clothing our bodies, to delivering our food, 

Giving us everything to uplift our mood; 

This holiday season do not take for granted, 

The gifts energy has brought us, any and every time we wanted, 

From the Canadian Energy Centre to you reading this on your phone screen’s bright light, 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! 

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At this point in September, you’ve successfully rounded up all the supplies required by your children to fuel a productive school year. Perhaps you’ve already replaced a few items that have been lost in the chaos and excitement. 

But without oil and gas and petrochemical products, the school year would look quite different. 

Imagine the following items being removed from your child’s day-to-day: 

Elements of these items, and more, are made with products derived from oil and natural gas.  

• The plastics found encasing mechanical pencils, pens, markers, scissors, calculators, binders and gym class equipment are made from hydrocarbon polymers obtained from refining petroleum. 
• The synthetic fabrics that make up your child’s backpack material, pencil cases, and clothing are also made from petroleum-based polymers that have been shredded and spun into yarns.
• Supplies aside, whether walking, riding a bicycle, taking the bus, or driving to school with a parent, your child’s commute also involves oil and gas and petrochemical products in one form or another.  

Canada’s plastic resin production industry is concentrated in Ontario and Alberta and is dependent upon crude oil and natural gas as its source of chemical raw materials.  

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada members are committed to making 100 per cent of plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030.   

Through innovation and technology, the petrochemical industry is transitioning towards a “circular economy” in which materials are reused and recycled in a closed and sustainable loop.   

So, when those pens run out of ink and the pants that fit in September are two inches shorter in June, look for office supply-specific recycling depots in community drug stores, as well as textile recycling bins to minimize the impacts of these annual essentials.   

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Decorations, and costumes, and candle-lit pumpkins, oh my! 

Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday in Canada.  

Spooky festivities often occupy the latter half of the month and come the evening of October 31 you are guaranteed to find costumed children trick-or-treating through decorated streets.  

Here’s how oil and gas and petrochemical products bring your favourite Halloween activities to life: 

Pumpkin carving 

• The tools used to carve pumpkins are generally either fully plastic in their composition or have a plastic handle. 
• Paraffin wax candles, or their waxy-coated faux flame counterparts that light your completed jack-o-lantern are made from petroleum. 

• Pinterest-inspired painted pumpkins are widely popular. A common synthetic resin commonly used in paint is polyurethane.  

Decorations 

• Plastic spiders, skeletons and limbs hiding under trees, climbing your house, or sitting on the porch are made of plastics and synthetic, lifelike latex.  
• Those artificial cobwebs that you thought were a spooky idea, but will take months to peel from the branches of the tree in your front yard? They are made from polyethylene terephthalate, the most common thermoplastic polymer resin in the polyester family.  
• Nylon inflatables brighten up the neighbourhood at all hours and are a big, colourful hit with children. 

Trick-or-Treating 

• Colourful costume make-up and stage blood are commonly made from oil-based paints. The sponges and brushes used to apply your Halloween alter-ego are also petroleum-based.  
• Store-bought costumes are largely made of synthetic fibres like nylon and polyester. 
• Scary masks, whether hard plastic or soft synthetic latex, are made from polymers. 
• Plastic flashlights and glow sticks keep children safe as they walk along dimly lit streets. 

• Candy wrappers, bowls, bags, and buckets are also comprised of petrochemical-based materials such as plastic and polyester. 

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If you plan on heading out for a summer weekend camp-out, let us take one task off your hands by supplying you with the following packing list: 

• Tent/trailer 
• Sleeping bags 
• Raincoat 
• Hiking boots 
• Headlamp 
• Bicycles 
• Kayak/paddleboard  
• Camp stove 
• Propane 
• Cooler and ice packs  
• Toys  
• Transportation 
• Tarps 
• Tablecloths 
• Durable and reusable plates and cutlery  
• Backpacks 
• Thermos  
• Insect repellant 
• Camera  

What do these items have in common? They are all comprised of oil and gas and petrochemical products.  

Everything down to the ethanol required to evenly distribute the ingredients of your mosquito repellant and the nylon in your hiking boots that keeps you dry out on the trails has been impacted by oil and gas and petrochemical products at some point along the value chain.  

Whether you are a novice camper, or a lifelong adventure seeker, check out the materials listed below that are used in each of the items helping you make the most of your journey through the outdoors.  

Synthetic fabrics 

Most fibres used today are made from petroleum-based polymers, more commonly known as plastic.  These fibres are turned into synthetic materials such as spandex, polyester, nylon. 

Polyester and nylon are the first and second most-used manufactured fibres in apparel.   

At your campsite, you will find nylon and polyester in your hiking boots, pants, tents, sleeping bags, chairs, tarps, tablecloths, backpacks and more. 

Natural gas liquids (NGLs) 

Propane, butane, and ethanol are hydrocarbons used in all sectors of the economy.  

At your campsite, you will find these NGLs fueling your camp stove, powering the spray of insect repellant, and heating your trailer. 

Plastic 

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada estimates 70,000 products used by Canadians every day are made from plastics. These items are made by refining natural gas and petroleum into polyethylene or polypropylene, the most common types of plastic, and both are produced in Canada.  

Canada’s plastics industry is committed to making 100 per cent of plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030.  

At your campsite, you will find plastics in your durable and reusable plates and cutlery, cameras, beach toys, kayaks, headlamps, coolers, and sunscreen containers.  

As August heads into full swing, put some extra thought into what you’re packing on your trip to the mountains, badlands, or nearest lake. You may be surprised at just how much is made possible by oil and gas.  

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There is no better excuse for a barbecue than the combination of sunshine and holidays. 

We often take the impact oil and gas, and petrochemical-based products have on this favourite summertime activity for granted.  

The following photo essay explores how involved oil and gas is in executing the perfect summer BBQ.  

The first ingredient for a successful summer gathering is guests! How will they get there and what are they wearing?  

According to IHS Markit, nearly 12 per cent of new vehicles registered in Canada in 2021 were some form of electric vehicle. Therefore, most of your friends and family are still arriving by gasoline powered vehicle, maybe even by public transport. 

Not only will your guests be transported by them, they’ll also be clothed in petroleum products. Polyester and nylon are the first and second most-used manufactured fibres in apparel. These materials are made from petroleum-based polymers, more commonly known as plastic.  

What request do you often hear immediately upon arrival at any gathering – “Can I get you anything to drink?” Alternatively, you may be given directions to grab a refreshment from a nearby cooler. The container for keeping your beverage fresh and frosty is either powered by oil and gas or made from petrochemicals.  

A cooler’s shell is rigid plastic, polypropylene, while its insulation is made of polystyrene – a synthetic resin obtained by reacting ethylene, sourced from natural gas and/or petroleum, with the hydrocarbon benzene and often blended further with other polymers.  

After initial greetings and mingling are taken care of, the designated barbecue chef fires up the grill. Whether it is natural gas- or propane-powered, its sole function depends on oil and gas products.  

Hot off the grill, the food on your plate was transported a great distance to your local grocery store by large, fuel-powered trucks, and perhaps driven the short distance home in Canada’s number one selling vehicle: the gasoline powered Ford F-150.  

But the oil and gas sector’s contribution to the items that are about to satisfy your appetite doesn’t stop with transportation, its feedstocks are also a key ingredient in the fertilizers that allow food production to keep pace with global population. 

Taking a seat to enjoy your meal and enjoy some good conversation? The composition of the lawn chair you’re sitting on can be attributed to nylon, polyester and plastic. Need to retreat under a tent or awning during a quick rain shower? That too is made from oil and gas and petrochemical-based products.  

Utensils, plates, those red cups we all know and love – they’re also made from polystyrene.  

Playing giant connect-four? Throwing or kicking a ball around? Your go-to backyard games also rely on petrochemical-based materials.

So the next time you are enjoying a warm summer barbecue, surrounded by food, friends and family, drink in the scenery and acknowledge how oil and gas and petrochemical products made your evening possible. 

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The grass has finally turned green, and parents are setting up their folding chairs on sidelines across the country as spring and summer sports kick-off. 

Many families introduce their children to sport through soccer, not only for the benefits of teamwork and play, but because the equipment requirements are less intensive than hockey or baseball. 

But have you ever considered what a soccer field would look like without contributions from oil and gas? 

The following is a list of common soccer equipment that is made of petrochemical-based materials such as butyl, polypropylene and polyethylene, products made possible by oil and gas and plastics. It may surprise you to learn how dependent their existence is on oil and gas. 

• Soccer ball 
• Astroturf  
• Fertilizer  
• Cleats 
• Net 
• Pylons  
• Gloves 
• Jersey  
• Socks 
• Shin guards 
• Mouth guard 
• Bag 
• Water bottles 
• Tupperware (what are sports without snacks?)  
• Minivans 

The same can be said for many other spring and summer sports; tennis, baseball, cycling or kayaking, to name a few.  

Sports equipment relies heavily on chemistry to help athletes reach peak performance and provide critical safety and protective functions. 

Next time you’re enjoying a hot chocolate from the spectator’s seat, take a good look around and complete a quick tally of items that require oil and gas, either for their production and composition, or delivery, and you may be surprised at how many outdoor hobbies would be non-existent without contributions from Canada’s oil and gas industry.  

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After a two-year pandemic induced interruption, music festivals are back and bigger than ever, but it wouldn’t be possible to attend and enjoy these events without oil and gas.  

Over the past two weekends, hundreds of thousands of spectators attended the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. The world’s fifth-largest outdoor music festival and one of many popular days-long music festivals slated for the spring and summer of 2022.  

According to Billboard online, 32 million people went to at least one music festival in 2014 in the U.S. alone. That is just six million attendees shy of matching the population of Canada. 

With stages, sound systems, food vendors, attractions, campsites, and portable restrooms – large festivals are energy intensive.  

In the UK, music festivals in rural areas without access to electrical infrastructure use up to 250 generators each, requiring roughly 16,000 litres of diesel fuel to power an event.  

It is estimated that nearly 12 million litres of fuel are used by the UK music festival sector each year.  

While many festivals, Coachella included, have committed to increasing their sustainability in operations by switching to hybrid powered or renewable models, oil and gas products remain the primary means of bringing people together.  

Thousands of festivals will take place around the world this year. Here’s how oil and gas bring these events to life:  

Transportation 

Nielsen Music reports that the average festival-goer travels more than 1,400 kilometers to attend a festival. 

Over 50 per cent of Coachella attendees in 2016 were from the region. These participants travelled to the festival location on a daily basis either in their own vehicles or by festival-arranged shuttles.  

The remaining 50 per cent of attendees, whether they are international or from the continental United States, wouldn’t be able to attend without travelling by air or rail, both fossil fuel-reliant means of transportation. 

Accommodation 

At many festivals, tens of thousands of guests can opt to camp on-site instead of seeking out limited hotel or vacation rental accommodations.  

While this reduces the amount of daily transportation required for these visitors, they are likely camping in nylon tents or vehicles, and otherwise relying on everyday petrochemical-based products such as toothbrushes, luggage, cosmetics, sunglasses, clothing, and cell phones to elevate their festival experience.  

Tents at the camping site on the second day of the Glastonbury Festival. Photo courtesy Getty Images.

Stage production 

It is difficult to get an accurate figure of the amount of electricity used to power a single music festival, whether it is generated by natural gas or renewables. This is due in part to location, production company, and the variance in setups and equipment used.  

With multiple music festival stages running for days on end, casting lights, sounds and imagery to mile-wide audiences, one can conclude that the energy demanded and consumed by such events is high. 

In terms of increasing sustainability at these events, a shift in power source presents an excellent opportunity for Canada’s burgeoning hydrogen economy. 

The technology exists now for music festival organizers to gradually migrate from diesel to hydrogen generators, potentially reducing costs and emissions.  

It is unlikely that the popularity of live music festivals will fade, and for the foreseeable future oil and gas products will continue to deliver attendees.  

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The arrival of spring often comes with a wardrobe refresh. We shed our winter layers for bright, breathable fabrics. 

Whether you prefer something couture or comfortable, it’s likely your clothes are comprised of petrochemical products.  

Most fibres used today are made from petroleum-based polymers, more commonly known as plastic.  These fibres are turned into synthetic materials such as spandex, polyester, nylon, acrylic, and even vegan leather.  

Polyester and nylon are the first and second most-used manufactured fibres in apparel.  

Synthetic fabrics are less likely to wrinkle or stain, and make clothing lightweight, water resistant, and longer lasting.  

The use of synthetics has experienced a drastic surge. In the past 50 years, the production of fossil fuel-based fibres has grown at double the pace of overall global fibre production. 

Polyester not only has the greatest production volume of any synthetic fibre, but also has the highest predicted growth rate. Despite market disruptions induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, polyester production is expected to account for 63 per cent of total fibre production by 2030.  

Demand is driven by polyester’s low cost of production, as well as initiatives like the Global Fashion Agenda’s Circular Fashion Partnership. Many brands have signed on to create a cyclical fashion industry by increasing the use of recycled fibres to decrease textile waste.  

Partner brands intend to replace 30 per cent of their cotton with polyester by 2030, thanks to an accelerated synthetic fibre recycling market. Conscious brands are even offering textile recycling depots in-store. 

Canada’s plastics industry is also committed to solving the plastic waste problem. 

The production of highly recyclable plastics such as polypropylene is imperative to meeting this goal.   

Inter Pipeline’s Heartland Petrochemical Complex in central Alberta, expected to be operational in 2022, will use state of the art technology to convert propane into polypropylene resin, also known as plastic. 

Blue plastic resin . Getty Images photo

The plastic pellets that result from the polymerization process can be shipped to manufacturers to be shredded and spun into yarn. This yarn is then woven into custom fabrics to be dyed or printed on and sewn into the novelty shirt you just brought back from spring break. 

The Heartland Petrochemical Complex has been under construction since 2017. Photo courtesy Inter Pipeline Ltd.

Heartland’s polypropylene is expected to have a greenhouse gas emissions footprint that is 65 per cent lower than the global average, thanks in part to on-site hydrogen-augmented power and utilities generation. 

Inter Pipeline recently submitted a joint application with Rockpoint Gas Storage to develop a new carbon sequestration hub within the Heartland complex.  

If approved and developed, the hub would provide storage capacity of more than six million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. This is equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 26 million acres of North American forests each year.  

The project will be anchored by emissions from Inter Pipeline’s existing assets in the area and will be scaled to support future petroleum and energy transition projects planned in the region.  

If your workout wear is ultra-soft and moisture wicking, and your favourite pair of jeans allow you to stretch further than expected to reach a rogue throw when playing catch in the backyard, you can thank oil and gas. 

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It’s 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning – you wouldn’t usually be up so early on a weekend, but the mountains are calling, and your alarm clock is begging you to answer them. 

A fresh pot of coffee waits for you in the kitchen as you quickly fry up an egg and toast some bread as you check hill conditions on your phone before warming up the car, loading your gear, and hitting the road.  

The sun peaks over the mountains to light your way to the hill. The parking lot is beginning to fill with other early risers, and you are eager to avoid a long line at the gondola.  

You hustle to bundle up in warm fleece layers, boots, and a jacket, grab your skis, goggles, poles, helmet, and extra wax before riding the lift to the resort – if you’re lucky, that chairlift may even be heated.  

With temperatures hovering above zero degrees, it’s the perfect day to fly down a mountain on one or two sticks, then head home to curl up on the couch in front of your TV and gas fireplace to cheer on the nation’s athletes as they compete on the world stage.  

These cold weather pastimes are made possible by petrochemical-based materials; products made from oil and gas and plastics. 

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada estimates 70,000 products used by Canadians every day are made from plastics.  

Whether it’s a leisurely skate, or showing off aerial acrobatics in the snowboard park, the various outdoor sports Canadians indulge in during winter would look a lot different without these products.  

Sports equipment relies heavily on chemistry to help athletes reach peak performance and provide critical safety and protective functions: 

• Lubricants and waxes allow snowboards and skis to carve effortlessly through powder and glide over icy conditions.  
• Polycarbonate lenses and visors have built-in UV resistance and deflect harsh glare off the bright snow, are thin and lightweight, and have high impact resistance. 
• Helmets are made from polycarbonate: both their hard outer protective shells, and the soft inner padding.   
• Flexible spandex gear for downhill skiers, speed skaters, and curlers is made from polyurethane, as are nylon and polyester for your everyday winter jacket.  
• Made from organic polymers, carbon fiber’s high-strength and lightweight properties, combined with its versatility and durability make it the chosen material for high performance skis, snowboards, hockey sticks, even fabric.  

If enjoying winter sports from the comfort of your own home or in the stands is more your style, even spectator sports depend on oil and gas. The power to keep the lights on and heat the arena, as well as the fuel to transport athletes to competitions around the globe, and the materials used to manufacture your tablet or television are all a result of oil and gas activity.  

Beyond the fuels that heat our homes and make things go, petrochemical products from Canadian oil and gas drive the $35 billion Canadian plastics industry that employs nearly 100,000 people in businesses that make and recycle plastic.   

Canadian producers have set goals to make this $85 billion industry a circular economy by advancing technologies to allow for 100 per cent of plastic packaging to be recoverable and recyclable by 2030. 

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Modern medicine relies on petroleum not only to power hospitals and transport patients, but to manufacture equipment and pharmaceuticals as well.

Reduced availability of petroleum supply would severely impact the healthcare system, according to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). 

The authors state that several others “have highlighted health care’s exposure to declines in petroleum production, but the issue has received little attention from economists or policymakers, and little has been done to further assess and manage the potential risk.”  

Ten years later, it is difficult to find any updated research associated with these risks, which is why it is important to acknowledge the major contributions of oil and gas products to the healthcare sector.  

How are petroleum-based products being used in healthcare? Here is a breakdown: 

Power 

Energy consumption in hospitals is largely due to space heating and cooling, steam production, ventilation, high powered lighting, equipment usage, hot water, and cooking.  

According to a 2018 energy retrofit guideline, natural gas provides approximately two-thirds of the typical Canadian hospital’s energy requirements.   

The remainder is fulfilled by electricity, which can be generated from natural gas, coal, hydro, wind, solar, biomass or nuclear sources.  

Transportation 

STARS air ambulance responded to 1,255 events for the 2019/2020 reporting year, and more than 500 ambulance vehicles respond to over 550,000 medical events each year in Alberta alone. 

In Ontario, non-profit air ambulance service Ornge sent helicopters and fixed wing aircraft on more than 8,000 missions last year, travelling over 17 million kilometres to ensure life-saving care for critical patients. 

Ambulances run on gasoline and diesel and helicopters run on aviation fuel. Although distances traveled and fuel used are not routinely tracked, these transport services are fuel intensive and dependent.  

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) 

While donning PPE is common practice in healthcare centres, demand for the equipment increased significantly with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The introduction of high-traffic testing centres and new safety procedures within hospitals require healthcare workers to put on a new gown each time they enter a room to attend to a patient.  

In many cases, PPE is produced using petrochemicals, including gloves, respirators, goggles, gowns, and face shields.

N95 mask infographic. Photo courtesy CAPP

Most of the main components of an N-95 mask are made from petroleum products such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polymers derived from natural gas and produced during the petroleum refining process.  

Much like N-95 respirators, the protective isolation gowns worn by medical professionals and visitors in hospital are manufactured according to specific standards and are made of basic synthetic fibers from polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene, which offer increased protection from liquid penetration, like plastic films.  

Medical Equipment 

Virtually any piece of medical equipment that contains plastic is made possible by oil and gas. The availability of these plastic devices has become linked to high quality medical care, and therefore patient health. 

Pharmaceuticals 

According to the AJPH study, “approximately 3% of petroleum production is used for pharmaceutical manufacture, but nearly 99% of pharmaceutical feedstocks and reagents are derived from petrochemicals.”  

The chemical reactions that result in these feedstocks that produce aspirin, penicillin and more involve the use of organic molecules found in petroleum.  

In addition, polymers are used to make pill capsules and coatings – including that time-release coating on your extra strength Tylenol.  

Packaging is also made from plastics and keeps medication sterile, child-resistant, and safe from accidental breakage. 

Canadian Plastics  

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada estimates 70,000 products used by Canadians every day are made from plastics.  

Canada’s plastics industry is committed to solving the plastic waste problem and has set a goal to make 100 per cent of plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030.  

The production of highly recyclable plastics such as polyethylene is imperative to meeting this goal.   

Through innovation and technology, the petrochemical industry is transitioning towards a “circular economy” where materials are reused and recycled in a closed and sustainable loop.   

The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to Canadian Energy Centre Ltd.