Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. - Calgary

Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. is a self-governing, not-for-profit research organization, incorporated in 1964 under the Companies Act of Alberta. Participation of supporting companies in ASRL research and business activities proceeds by way of membership in the organization which includes an annual contribution of funds to facilitate the operation of the company. The membership is, at the time of this policy formulation, composed of 58 companies representing a diverse range of involvement in the sulfur business, including primary production from sour hydrocarbon exploitation; engineering, construction and operation of production and processing facilities; and service and supply firms associated with certain aspects of the foregoing activities. The membership includes companies from Canada, the United States of America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Meetings of the membership as a whole, each represented by designated individuals (representatives) and optionally by colleagues of said representatives, occur twice yearly for technical presentations of research results. The Annual General Meeting of ASRL is held in conjunction with one of these technical meetings. From time to time, a sub-group of member companies may elect to support, participate and administer research within the context of a Special Project. Additionally, ASRL staff and its agents may meet with employees of individual member companies for the purpose of carrying out confidential contract research.

Our joint-industry-sponsored research group, like other types of joint industry associations, can present special concerns under anti-trust laws because of the direct contact and communication between and among competitors in the marketplace. Although strictly speaking, these intermember associations are not the business of ASRL, such associations inherently occur at ASRL meetings, and it is incumbent upon us to make a statement that reflects our business practices and our expectation of the members gathered in our name, specifically as these relate to anticompetitive behaviours.