Plan your work and work your plan
Whether it’s your morning coffee or the gas in your car, energy fuels our daily life and behind every drop of gasoline or jet fuel is a complex choreography of planning, coordination and quick decision-making. A well-structured schedule is crucial to get the energy products we produce to the retailers and industries that rely on them.
At Cenovus Energy, we operate across the full value chain to develop, transport, produce and market crude oil and natural gas to reach their destinations safely and efficiently.
But how do these products get from point A to point B?
Typically, products like crude oil and diluent are transported through a network of pipelines from our producing assets to our refineries and market. Diluent products are light hydrocarbons, such as natural gas condensate that are used to thin heavy crude oil and bitumen, which is almost like cold molasses, so that it will meet pipeline specifications, including viscosity. These complex networks require active coordination, planning and strategic communication by our Commercial Scheduling teams.
Shari Montgomery, Downstream Pipeline Scheduler
Shari Montgomery is a Downstream Pipeline Scheduler with our Commercial Operations Crude and Diluent team. Shari’s work requires a combination of operational understanding, analytical skills and effective communication across various teams and stakeholders. Her success depends on the ability to execute contract obligations, including how much product must be produced, transported or delivered in a certain time period, while making quick decisions that keep operations and our downstream network running smoothly.
Shari is continuously brought in to solve complex problems, like when a seven-day shutdown of a major pipeline led to a temporary restriction in the flow of oil and gas. We asked her how she approached this problem.
“The first thought is safety, always, and confirming the details of the incident. The next focus is information sharing and making sure key stakeholders have what they need to minimize disruption and confusion. At the same time, contingency scheduling kicks in to minimize impact on downstream operations through storing existing product, rerouting distribution and alerting our trading team to manage delivery delays. Early communication is key to a rapid, organized and compliant response.”
Moving forward, Shari sees artificial intelligence transforming scheduling by making it smarter, faster and more accurate. “These advancements will be able to handle routine tasks, allow real-time optimization and forecast disruptions as well as offer data-based solutions.”
Ken Clement, Crude Oil & Diluent Scheduler
Ken Clement is another member of Cenovus’s Commercial scheduling team. As a Crude Oil & Diluent Scheduler, he manages the safe and efficient movement of diluent products to our midstream and upstream facilities. Ken helps enhance our supply chain with the goal of improving operational performance, reducing costs and building additional value for the business.
“Every day presents new challenges that require creative problem solving and collaboration,” Ken shares when asked about his favourite part of the job. “Since the role is market facing, it also provides the opportunity to attend several industry events to build connections with pipeline operators and external counterparties, both of which we rely on in our operations.”
This cross collaboration was front and centre when production was at risk of being impacted due to unplanned diluent shortages in April 2025. To address this challenge, Ken worked closely with our trading, business development and upstream teams, as well as external partners. Through innovative solutions, he ensured uninterrupted production across all sites. Ken successfully maneuvered volumes across facilities, coordinating supply to meet operational needs. He developed multiple inventory forecasting models to manage consistent distribution of product to our assets that strategically balanced site inventories, which were temporarily below normal operating levels. This helped ensure required products reached our Sunrise, Foster Creek, Christina Lake and Lloydminster operations. A unified understanding and support across teams created effective collaboration and resilient operations during an unexpected challenge.
When asked about the future of scheduling, Ken predicts that schedulers will take on broader responsibilities as some parts become more integrated. Scheduling will likely manage larger portfolios coordinating inbound and outbound product across a wider range of facility terminals and pipelines. While this added complexity will increase responsibilities, he believes it will also create new opportunities such as shared infrastructure, unified systems and stronger alignment between upstream and downstream operations increasing efficiency.
“Our Scheduling teams are a cross-functional powerhouse, working seamlessly with many internal teams and external parties to solve problems in real time,” says Heather Ungless, Senior Manager, Canadian Commercial Logistics. Their ability to collaborate, adapt and keep operations moving under pressure is nothing short of outstanding."
LAST UPDATED: NOVEMBER 2025
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