Brian Crossman is a partner in Estevan-based Independent Well Servicing. The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of Independent Well Servicing.
Brian Crossman. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Editor’s note: I was in Saskatoon for a major nuclear announcement at the University of Saskatchewan on Tuesday. It will take some time to do a proper story on the announcement, especially after several hundred kilomentres of driving, so please be patient. In the meantime, here’s Brian Crossman:
We’ve been discussing way too much politics of late. Trump this, Carney that, Poilievre is pissed off, Beck is angry with Moe, Moe is angry with Trump and Doug Ford won’t shut up long enough to take a breath. These debates are tiring as well as physically and emotionally draining. We (me anyway) need a f—ing break. One of my favorite go-to distractions is sports. I used to play a lot of sports (NOT an athlete or any good for that matter) but I love playing, watching and complaining about sports. So today it’s sports and our beloved oilpatch!
I loves me a good sports metaphor, reference, song or saying. There are so many great ones. For us in the great province of Saskatchewan, a favorite is, “Green is the colour,” an obvious reference to our beloved Roughriders. Maybe a back-to-back Grey Cup will happen. Or not, if you believe the chatter on the CFL sites. In our home, we have been following the Blue Jays as the post season is coming to an end. It’s not looking too promising as they are 3 games back for the wild card spot. But I still love the theme song for the Jays, “Ok!” “Blue Jays!” “Let’s!” “Play!” “Ball!”
Because it’s fall and the pennant race will begin soon, I’m going to quote legendary sports broadcaster and voice of the New York Yankees, Mel Allen. He had a simple, fun, yet timeless saying that any baseball fan knows well (at least if you were born before 1990). He was also the first host of the weekly show, “This Week in Baseball.” Whenever a big play was made or something interesting happened, Mel would say, “How About That?” in his very recognizable sportscaster tone, cadence and voice.
It may not seem like it sometimes, those of us employed in the oil and gas industry (and those who aren’t) have a great deal to be thankful for. Let’s take a minute to run through the list. “How about that?”
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
We fuel our country and the world. We are forth in proven oil reserves in the world. We do this ethically, in the most environmentally friendly way possible, and still improving constantly. Ask any Canadian oilfield hand that has worked in the oilfields of other nations. We do it better and are happy to share this information and technology with anyone. Simply put, we are the best. “How about that?”
We provide jobs and a good way of life for thousands of people. So many in the industry started out with entry level jobs, and with some hard work and ongoing training have become leaders in the industry. Many went back to university and received degrees and certificates in engineering, petroleum tech, business, and many trades from technical schools. On the flipside, all oilfield workers have taken on the job training and countless safety tickets and then continued on to manage companies, often starting their own companies and continuing to be successful. “How about that?”
Many people believe that 100 per cent of the oil industry should end. This is in spite of the fact they use it and products that come from it all the time. They will glue themselves to pavement, and the glue, the container and the actual blacktop is all derived from fossil fuels. And I doubt if they walked to the protest or even used an EV or bicycle. (Or as Brian Zinchuk often says, “I didn’t see any horses hitched up outside.”) They post the pictures on the internet, use phones and laptops that are made with plastic derived from crude oil. “How about that?”
If every car in the world was an EV, it would drop fossil fuel use by 25 to 35 per cent. Does this help the environment? Somewhat, but this is a small part, and building new power generation requires a vast amount of fossil fuels to construct and maintain. Electric cars are improving and are fine if that is your choice. Having said that, oil and gas is still in the mix no matter what. “How about that?
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Nearly everything we use is either made with crude oil or it’s derivatives. Look around the room, your office or take a walk around town. It is everywhere. We could not and would not have the quality of life we enjoy. “How about that?”
These petroleum derivatives are used in manufacturing windmills and solar panels. The fuel is required to mine the materials, make the devices and install this equipment. Then, at the inevitable end of their life cycles, fossil fuels are necessary to facilitate the tearing down, trucking and either recycling or disposing of potentially toxic materials. “How about that?”
I am especially thankful for the men and women who wake up everyday and go to work in the oilfields of Saskatchewan, Canada and the rest of the world. From roustabouts, drillers, engineers, vice-presidents, safety professionals to CEOs, these people help to provide us all with the lifestyle we all enjoy. They do this work in the toughest of environments, weather, and locations. All the businesses generate revenue for the country, our province, and the families who directly or indirectly make decent and honest living from the oil and gas industry. “How about that?”
Brian Crossman is a partner at Independent Well Servicing in Estevan. It’s official, the Blue Jays were eliminated from the wild card spot. But our beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders are still a possibility to win the Grey Cup! But in the words of another legendary sports personality, Bob Eueker, back-to-back Grey Cups might be “Just a Bit Outside!” If you don’t get that reference, please watch the movie “Major League.” You’re welcome. “How about that?”
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001