BP Canada has been given the green light to restart drilling operations off the coast of Nova Scotia, a month after the energy giant spilled thousands of litres of drilling mud into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board said Monday it gave the company approval to resume drilling operations late Sunday.
The energy regulator said the leak was caused by a loose connection in the mud booster line.
It said BP has put in place measures to prevent another accident, including replacing a section of the mud booster line and installing a pressure system alarm.
“We have verified that all the responsive steps have been implemented,” board CEO Stuart Pinks said in an incident bulletin update.
“We are satisfied that the responsive actions taken, including the additional monitoring and testing that will be done for the remainder of the project, allows for drilling operations to resume safely.”
BP Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The leak of 136 cubic metres of synthetic drilling mud from BP Canada’s West Aquarius drilling unit, about 330 kilometres southeast of Halifax, sparked widespread concern about offshore exploration in Nova Scotia.
The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs said last month the incident raises questions about the protection of the land and water, as well as any species potentially affected by the spill.
Synthetic-based mud is a heavy, dense fluid used during drilling to lubricate the drill pipe and regulate reservoir pressure.
The regulator is continuing to investigate the potential environmental effects of the spill, including reviewing footage of the seabed and analyzing samples of the drilling mud on the sea floor.
A report will be made public once the investigation has concluded, the board said.
Board spokeswoman Stacy O’Rourke said determining if any enforcement actions may be taken — including fines — will be part of the regulator’s ongoing investigation.
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Business as usual! Destroy
Business as usual! Destroy Canada's environment along with any remaining fish stock, make tourism uninteresting, and collect (eventually) some pocket change while Big Oil laughs all the way to the bank. Has "the regulator" even heard of sustainable power sources?
You have mistaken these
You have mistaken these people for ones that care. :(
The sad thing is that without scientific, neutral, third party monitoring, we are asking for it when they say anything. #liestheoilcompanytoldme
"...The energy regulator said
"...The energy regulator said the leak was caused by a loose connection in the mud booster line.
It said BP has put in place measures to prevent another accident, including replacing a section of the mud booster line and installing a pressure system alarm..."
Really?! No pressure alarm was in place before the spill? Isn't that kind of the basics of "we have safety top of mind" drilling, let alone best in class?
BP has a reputation to
BP has a reputation to maintain. Would we really expect more from them?
Having a corrupt and captive
Having a corrupt and captive regulator handing out permits to drill is really the big problem, as it has been with the National Energy Board. Seems the regulator doesn't know the BP history...ever heard of the Deep Water Horizon.? Apparently not. More destruction to come. How much were they fined for all the drilling mud they dumped? Pittance I would guess. More welfare oil mafia control of OUR resources, while killing crab, lobster and scallop fisheries.. must be nice to have friends in low places....on the take.
Forgive me, I don't believe
Forgive me, I don't believe them. It's all about the money. If the safety of our environment is in the hands of big oil and gas....we all know where we're headed.
Fines are not going to do the
Fines are not going to do the environment any good once a big spill happens . It is really hard to understand with BP's record why our government is putting so much at risk .
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