BP Canada says the proposed drill site is just a first step to see if hydrocarbons are present.
An ultra-deep semi-submersible oil rig is on its way from Newfoundland to the Scotian Shelf where BP holds an exploration licence.
However, they’ve not yet received approval from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board to start drilling activities.
In an email, a BP spokesperson said their current plans include drilling one well and evaluating further following that.
” In our Environmental Impact Assessment, we conducted that assessment based on “up to” seven wells but we have only planned one well.”
They noted that exploration operations take a relatively short time.
On the topic of safety, BP says their practices are consistent with industry standards and that they’re continuously improving.
“Our priority is to drill safely, and to prevent incidents from occurring. In addition to BP-owned resources and equipment available in Nova Scotia, we have access to local, regional and global response resources through our relationships with specialty response contractors such as Eastern Canada Response Corporation (ECRC) and Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL),” reads the emailed statement.
The company says their priority is to drill safely.
