A strategic environmental assessment of the Western Newfoundland offshore area — being conducted by the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) — has led one company with exploration plans within the area to try to put those plans on hold.
Corridor Resources Inc. is the interest owner in exploration licence area 1105 (known as Old Harry). The company has approached the regulator and stated its intention to await the results of the strategic assessment before it proceeds with its Old Harry project.
In order to put a pin in the project without penalty, Corridor has requested the issuance of a “prohibition order” on its own project.
Such a stop-work order is typically reserved for “the case of an environmental or social problem of a serious nature,” according to the CNLOPB and is considered a fundamental decision under the Atlantic Accord legislation.
The question of whether or not the order will be approved lies with the provincial and federal governments.
If approved, the order will mean Corridor Resources would be legally prevented from any work or activity at exploration licence area 1105 until the board completes its strategic environmental assessment work and the order is revisited.
As a result of Corridor’s request, the CNLOPB stated this morning it has put a stop on a project-specific environmental assessment of the proposed drilling at Old Harry, until it can be decided what comes next.
An independent review of the Old Harry project was set to be launched out of New Brunswick any day now, led by Bernard Richard. It was to include multi-province public consultations on the proposed work.
“We need to fully consider the proponent’s request for a prohibition order before proceeding with public consultations on the environmental assessment,” Chair and CEO of the CNLOPB, Max Ruelokke, stated in a news release.
“We have therefore informed the independent reviewer, Mr. Bernard Richard, of the need to delay his plans to launch public consultations until this matter has been addressed by the board.”
The first strategic environmental assessment of the Western Newfoundland offshore area was completed in 2005 and amended in 2007. The deadline for public comments on the draft outline for an update of the regional assessment was Jan. 18, 2012.
Further information on the Corridor Resources project proposal and the strategic environmental assessment update for the Western Newfoundland offshore are available on the CNLOPB website (http://www.cnlopb.nl.ca).
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