Tag Archives: Shell Canada
Shell Canada asks regulator to leave huge pipe on sea floor off Nova Scotia
Shell Canada has officially applied to abandon two kilometres of pipe it accidentally dropped on the ocean floor off the coast of Nova Scotia. The pipe, known in the industry as a riser, broke free from a surface ship March 5 during a winter storm. “Because of the unacceptable risk associated with the health and safety exposure and potential impact to human health of offshore workers, Shell does not perceive recovery of the riser … as a viable response option,” Shell Canada’s exploration manager said Friday in a letter to Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board. “Considering the health and safety exposure associated with recovery, the minimal impact to other ocean users, as well as the lack of significant adverse environmental effects, leaving the riser … in place on the seabed is Shell’s safest and most appropriate response option.” Read the story here 09:54
Shell report hints giant pipe on sea floor off Nova Scotia will be abandoned
A new report commissioned by Shell Canada shows it would be safer and easier for the company to abandon a multi-million-dollar two-kilometre pipe at the bottom of the ocean, instead of retrieving it. The huge pipe — called a “riser” — crumpled to the sea floor eight months ago off Nova Scotia’s coast. The riser had been used by the Stena IceMAX, a specialized ship hired by Shell Canada, to drill an exploratory well to search for oil. In bad weather and rough seas on March 5, the riser disconnected from the ship. Shell has been weighing its options for whether to retrieve its equipment ever since. Retrieving the riser would “present a considerable health and safety risk to offshore personnel related to the complexity and highly specialized nature of offshore recovery operations,” the report says. (these people cannot be trusted) Read the rest here 08:54
Shell Canada offshore drilling incident too close for comfort in area near rich fishing grounds
When heaving waters in the North Atlantic wrenched a string of massive steel pipes from a drilling ship off Nova Scotia’s coast, one of the 20-tonne sections of the plummeting coil struck the seabed just 12 metres from the top of an undersea oil exploration well. The distance is one of several details in a Shell Canada accident report received through access to information legislation, prompting critics to say the entire incident was too close for comfort in an area near one of Atlantic Canada’s richest fishing grounds of the Scotian Shelf. A summary report by the regulator issued earlier this year had said a heavier portion of the drilling system fell 22 metres from the wellhead, but didn’t mention the closer distance of pipes that are coiled and criss-crossed through an area of seabed the size of three football fields in length and breadth. Read the story here 12:32
Shell approval for oil drilling off Nova Scotia raises alarms in fishing industry
The approval from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board to allow Shell Canada to drill two oil wells on the edge of the Scotian Shelf is raising alarm bells among some in the fishing industry. “Four of those leases are directly in the major fishing banks of the Scotian Shelf,” said Davis, the former head of an anti-drilling group called the No Rigs Coalition. “Two are contiguous to the moratorium area of Georges Bank, two are to the northeast of Georges Bank and one takes in the southern part or heel of Browns Bank. The Scotian Shelf industry is under assault from the oil and gas industry.” Read the rest here 15:02
“What are they smoking?” – Fishers should have a say in offshore drilling planning
“What are they smoking?” was my initial reaction to media reports the federal environmental protection agency signed off on June 15 on a proposal by Shell Canada to start exploratory drilling in the Shelburne Basin off southwestern Nova Scotia. The real bombshell wasn’t the drilling in water depths ranging from 500 to 3,500 metres some 250 km southwest of Halifax, slated to begin in 2015-2016. No, the real bombshell was that federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq had reportedly approved Shell’s window of 12 to 21 days to bring an emergency response vessel and on site in the event of a well blowout. Read the rest here 15:04
Nova Scotia Fishing industry slams proposals on capping offshore blowouts
Potential regulations that would allow Shell Canada up to three weeks to cap a subsea blowout while drilling off the coast of Nova Scotia are not being met favourably by at least one fishing industry representative. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency issued its approval in June of Shell Canada’s plan to drill up to seven exploration wells at the Shelburne Basin, roughly 250 kilometres offshore. Shell’s plan includes predictions that it would take 12 to 21 days to bring a vessel and a capping system in from Norway. Shell said it would keep a backup capping stack on standby from either Scotland, South Africa, Singapore or Brazil. Read the rest here 18:05
Totally Unacceptable! Shell given OK to take 21 days to cap a deep well oil blowout off N.S. coast
Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq has signed off on Shell Canada’s plan for dealing with a potential deep-well blowout on the Shelburne Basin. Under its Well Containment Plan, Shell says it can have a primary capping stack in place within 12 to 21 days after a blowout. In the environmental assessment for the project, Shell Canada says the capping stack equipment would be brought in from Stavanger, Norway. Shell says it would also deploy a backup capping stack from either Scotland, South Africa, Singapore or Brazil. Read the rest here
Drilling plan off Nova Scotia eco-friendly, says Shell
Proposed exploratory drilling in Nova Scotia’s offshore starting next year likely won’t have a major impact on the environment, Shell Canada says. “Changes to the environment and effects of these changes … are predicted to be not significant for routine project activities,” alrighty then! Read more here 10:35
Shell Canada proposing major offshore N.S. exploration of 7 oil wells beginning in 2015
Environmentalists worry about the risk of a disaster that could threaten marine life such as whales, swordfish and tuna. “The probability is low, but as we saw in the Gulf of Mexico, the impacts can be enormous,” said Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre. He referred to BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 workers on the rig and caused massive damage. more@cbc 07:02
Not good. Shell to start exploratory drilling in N.S. in 2 years
Shell Canada has completed 3D seismic imaging off Nova Scotia’s southwestern shore, but the energy giant says it will be at least two years before exploratory oil drilling begins as part of its $970 million deepwater venture. more@cbcnews 12:50
