Toronto, ON– Marathon Canada Limited of Calgary, Alberta is joining 12 other Canadian and U.S. companies in supporting the Foundation for the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth (FAAY), Canada’s oldest general interest scholarship and bursary program for Aboriginal youth. FAAY is a program of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) – Canada’s leading organization dedicated to promoting the full participation of Aboriginal people in the Canadian economy.

FAAY will distribute $15,000 per year for the next three years for Marathon Canada’s "Fueling the Future" bursary and scholarship program. Funds will be directed to Aboriginal students primarily, but not exclusively, in Alberta. Since its establishment in 1994, FAAY has awarded almost $750,000 to approximately 600 Aboriginal students in all areas of study. It will distribute more than $200,000 in nearly 110 scholarships and bursaries in 2002.

"It is important that Marathon has a positive impact on the communities in which we conduct our business," says Bob Shepherd, President of Marathon Canada. "In our Western Canadian natural gas operations, Marathon works with a number of Aboriginal communities. The FAAY scholarship program is an opportunity to enhance the development of these communities through the education of Aboriginal youth, and we consider it a privilege to play a part."

"I am very pleased to welcome Marathon Canada to the FAAY family," said Jocelyne Soulodre, President and CEO of CCAB, FAAY’s parent organization. "The energy industry is a growing source of economic development, especially in frontier regions. The companies in the sector are coming to realize enhanced relations with Aboriginal communities and individuals are a key to a better, more profitable future for all of us. I encourage other companies, whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, to join them in helping to build the future of Aboriginal people in Canadian society."

Marathon Canada Limited, a subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation, was formed in 1998 to pursue an aggressive Canadian exploration and development program in support of Marathon's North American natural gas strategy, which stretches from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Operating in Western Canada and offshore Nova Scotia, Marathon seeks to become the safest and most profitable competitor in these core areas. Marathon's Calgary office supports Western Canadian operations, and its Halifax, Nova Scotia, office works closely with Worldwide Exploration in Houston, Texas, to support activities in East Coast Canada.