Lobbying and Political Activity

Public policy and political discourse directly impact the future of oil and natural gas exploration and production in North America. Constructive public policy engagement is important as it enables a dialogue between individual companies, industries and government, regardless of political affiliation, to achieve results-based policy outcomes.   

Engaging in Public Policy

The oil and natural gas industry in the U.S. and Canada plays an essential role in making modern life possible. Ovintiv and its peers in the U.S. and Canada lead the world in innovation and technology deployment, enhancing energy security in tandem with driving down GHG emissions.

Ovintiv actively participates in public policy development with federal, provincial, state and local levels in the U.S. and Canada to support effective policies governing responsible energy development in North America. To that end, Ovintiv utilizes a multifaceted approach that includes:  

  • Directly lobbying and educating various government entities on issues impacting our business
  • Actively participating in education and advocacy efforts by trade associations
  • Giving corporate contributions to other tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., including entities organized under  section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, to engage in political and education activities
  • Supporting the Ovintiv USA Inc. Political Action Committee (OVV PAC)

Ovintiv maintains corporate policies and rigorous oversight to ensure our lobbying and political activities reflect our corporate strategy and core values, are not driven by the personal views of Ovintiv’s employees or Board and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Our Approach to Effective Climate Change Policy

Meeting growing needs for safe, affordable, secure and reliable energy while addressing GHG emissions is a complex challenge for policymakers.  

We support a transparent and practical approach to improved GHG emissions performance, where government policy defines goals but grants industry the flexibility to develop effective, efficient and innovative solutions. Ovintiv partners with key stakeholders and industry peers to help inform regulatory development and encourage these actionable solutions. 

Climate Change Policy Goals

  • Drive meaningful and quantifiable GHG emissions reductions 
  • Promote innovation and actionable solutions 
  • Foster transparent partnership among key stakeholders
  • Align economic, environmental and energy security needs

Lobbying

Our federal lobbying filings with the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives can be found online. Ovintiv also maintains active lobbying registrations in Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, which require annual or semiannual reports detailing lobbying activities. The lobbying reports are publicly available on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website, the Texas Ethics Commission website and the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s website. In Canada, Ovintiv is registered with the Federal lobbyist registry and provincial lobbyist registries in Alberta and British Columbia.   

Trade Associations

We support trade associations, public policy organizations and academic research initiatives to inform public dialogue on issues impacting Ovintiv and the oil and natural gas industry.  

These organizations have multiple functions including direct advocacy, standards development, industry best practices creation and supporting the communities where we operate. They typically represent a diverse membership, both within the oil and natural gas sector and the broader business community.  

Ovintiv is a leader in the policy development and advocacy of our trade associations, although their policy views and the views and strategies of their participating organizations, are not monolithic. We do not always agree with or support their policy positions but try to influence the result. The Ovintiv Board annually reviews the Company’s participation in trade associations and the CRG Committee receives the Corporation’s Political Lobbying Report annually.  

Trade Associations Supported in 2023

All associations received more than $25,000 

United States

  • American Exploration &   Production Council
  • American Petroleum Institute
  •  BIPAC
  • Bipartisan Policy Center
  • Denver Metro Chamber of   Commerce 
  • Independent Petroleum   Association of America
  • International Petroleum   Industry Environmental   Conservation Association

  • National Association of Manufacturers
  • North Dakota Petroleum Council 
  • Permian Basin Petroleum Association 
  • Permian Strategic Partnership
  • The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma
  • Texas Oil & Gas Association 
  • Utah Petroleum Association 
  • Western Energy Alliance

Canada

  • Business Council of Alberta
  • Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
  • Canadian Gas Association
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce
  • Positive Energy

Political Contributions

Ovintiv supports corporate contributions to tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., including entities organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, to engage in supporting and/or advocating for the election of candidates, and public education campaigns that advance oil and natural gas policy. In the U.S. we periodically give directly to candidates in jurisdictions where corporate contributions are allowed by law. In 2023, Ovintiv did not give corporate dollars in support or opposition to any ballot measures. In Canada, corporations are prohibited from making political donations. Decisions to support political organizations and/or candidates are governed by our Political Activities Policy, which ensures decisions align with our corporate strategy and are made without the private political preferences of our executives. The Political Activities Policy and annual contributions are reviewed annually by the Board and the CRG Committee receives the Corporation’s Political Lobbying Report annually.   

Ovintiv also utilizes the OVV PAC to pool voluntary contributions from eligible employees to directly give to candidates or political committees at the U.S. federal and state level. PAC contributions are guided by the PAC mission to protect and advance the development of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas assets throughout the United States. All PAC contribution decisions are governed by a PAC Board of Directors, which consists of senior leaders from different corporate functions and office locations. The OVV PAC reports its activities in periodic public filings with the Federal Election Commission and the Texas Ethics Commission. Listed below are the contributions by the OVV PAC to candidate and political committees in 2023.

We commit to the highest ethical standards in our advocacy efforts. We follow applicable laws and regulations as defined by jurisdiction and we comply with our Business Code of Conduct and Political Activities Policy. Ovintiv discloses our political contributions and lobbying activities in accordance with local reporting and disclosure regulations. 

Candidates and industry PACs supported by the OVV PAC:

Federal Candidates

  • U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)
  • U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
  • U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
  • U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
  • Tim Sheehy for U.S. Senate (R-MT)
  • U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
  • U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND)
  • U.S. Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK)
  • U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX)
  • U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
  • U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT)
  • U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX)
  • U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX)
  • U.S. Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK)
  • U.S. Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH)
  • U.S. Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK)
  • U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT)
  • U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
  • U.S. Representative Carol Miller (R-WV)
  • U.S. Representative August Pfluger (R-TX)
  • U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK)
  • U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR)

Oklahoma Candidates

  • Brian Bingman for Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Representative Brad Boles (R-OK)
  • Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R-OK)
  • Tommie Herell for State Senate (R-OK)
  • Senator Lonnie Paxton (R-OK)

Texas Candidates

  • Representative John Bucy (D-TX)
  • Representative Cody Harris (R-TX)
  • Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-TX)
  • Representative Reggie Smith (R-TX)
  • Representative Armando Walle (D-TX)

Industry PACs

  • US Energy PAC