The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) surveyed oil sands producers and says it shows the increasing role of Indigenous suppliers to the industry.

In 2019 about $2.4 billion was spent on procurement from Indigenous businesses. That is 16 per cent higher than in 2018 and 53 per cent higher than 2017.

The number of Indigenous suppliers has also grown from 263 in 2017 to 275 in 2019. The oil sands companies which participated in the survey are responsible for more than 95 per cent of Canadian oil sands production.

Indigenous supply chain businesses contribute to oil sands operations in a variety of areas including construction, camps and catering, equipment services, transportation, environmental, drilling, engineering and retail.

On the flip side, oil sands producers are continuing their commitment and engagement in the communities where they operate. The total for these activities reached $64.2 million in 2019 compared to $41.8 million in 2017. Community investment can include things like education initiatives, training programs cultural program funding and even physical infrastructure.

Indigenous people also make up a growing proportion of oil and natural gas employment making up 7.4 per cent of the industry’s work force in 2019 compared to 4.8 per cent in 2018.