DEAR OIL & GAS COMPANIES – YOU’RE MAKING IT HARD TO STAY FRIENDS.
You don’t know me, but I am an oilpatch wife. I’m one of many in our province. We hold the fort while our husbands are away working to support their families.
As a co-owner of a service company and a farmer I am a stakeholder on several fronts. I am personally impacted by the deadbeats that mill amongst your crowd. They negatively affect your whole group, yet you refuse to call them out. I’m pissed and I have had enough.
They tear up our roads and don’t pay their property taxes. They short landowners on lease payments and dump their dilapidated wells in our backyards. Finally, they use their service companies like their own personal piggy bank.
I need to pay my bills every 30 days. Most of the oil and gas industry takes three times as long, if not more. Don’t tell me this is the exception rather than the norm because I know it is not. I have had to sell grain and load in -35C so that I could cashflow our payroll. All because you did not pay when you said you would.
I have seen our community groups hurting for sponsorship that our local businesses can’t provide because you haven’t paid them for 90 or 120 days.
While all of this goes on, you spend a tremendous effort on ESG to prop up your image for your urban investors while ignoring the rural folk that share their backyards with your wells, pipelines, and plants.
It’s time you stop providing cover and excuses for your bad apples. It’s time for you to pay your bills in 30 days, like the rest of us. The longer you delay the more you allow the laggards to be a cancer on this industry.
There is so much good that has come out of this industry, please don’t let the bad overshadow the good. I know you can do better.
Sincerely Your (ever-hopeful) Friend,
Leah Simeniuk
Wife, Mother, Business Owner, Farmer, Community Volunteer
P.S. – if you are a service company and like being a floor mat then ignore. If you feel as I do, please share.
