Neil Roszell, 2015 Saskatchewan Oilman of the Year, responded to the accolades, saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour to be back in my home province of Saskatchewan to receive this award.鈥�
鈥淗aving worked in the Saskathcewan oilpatch for 25 years, I鈥檝e witnessed a lot of technological changes and advancement. I started work for Mobil work in the Shaunavon area, worked through Lloydminster into the Pierceland area. We鈥檝e seen a lot of technology advancements that have revitalized fields. We鈥檝e seen an industry that just keeps on giving.
鈥淭his industry will continue to keep on giving. One of the comments earlier today of someone speaking to me was, 鈥榃hat do you think of commodity prices?鈥欌��
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e been through it before. This, too, will pass. People will be back at work. We鈥檒l all come together as communities. We鈥檒l continue to work hard. We鈥檒l take reduced work week, if that鈥檚 what鈥檚 required. And we鈥檒l have a thriving industry for many, many years to come.
Roszell said he was proud to be born and raised in Saskatchewan. He lived in some towns that are now ghost towns. 鈥淚t makes me proud to come back here. My three children were all born in Calgary, but they would swear they were Saskatchewanians. They bleed green.鈥�
鈥淲hat differentiates Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan oilpatch? I think it was made in many comments today 鈥� the work ethic of the people. Many of us grew up in rural Saskatchewan and learned the value of a dollar. We started working at 12 years old 鈥� paper routes, grocery stores. We learned hard work achieves success. I think that differentiates a lot of people of Saskatchewan.
鈥淚nnovation matters. People that learn to fix things with baler twine and duct tape, they learn how to innovate. As you wander around the grounds today, you鈥檒l see that innovation displayed in new technology throughout the oil show,鈥� Roszell said.
He continued, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 comment enough about what was mentioned by Minister (Bill) Boyd and Premier (Brad) Wall 鈥� a stable political environment. Investors and companies alike can chose to invest anywhere in this global world in the energy industry. To know that we鈥檝e got a stable royalty regime, what we鈥檙e get for return on our dollars; Premier Wall made one comment to me today that was really compelling.
鈥溾�楴eil, thank you for helping Saskatchewan. We鈥檙e just going to stay out of your way. We want you to build businesses, be successful, and help the province along.鈥�
鈥淭hank you Saskatchewan for affording Raging River and I the opportunity to help the Saskatchewan oilpatch. We look forward to many more years of development; exploitation of the people鈥檚 own resource; creating jobs in more communities. Thank you again,鈥� Roszell concluded.
