Public Registry: EAs

Operator: BP Canada Energy Group ULC | Activity Status:  Completed | Federal EA Applies: Yes

The Scotian Basin Exploration Drilling Project Environmental Assessment report provides a summary and the main findings of a federal Environmental Assessment conducted by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (now the Impact Assessment Agency) based on the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.

The Environmental Assessment covers up to 7 exploration wells, drilled in the period from 2018 to 2022. In 2018, BP Canada Energy Group ULC drilled one well. Additional wells may be drilled.

The full compliment of activities assessed in the EA includes:

1.  Seabed inspection
    
2.  Drilling
    
3. Vertical seismic profiling
    
4.  Well flow testing
    
5.  Abandonment of the well(s)
    
6. Supply and servicing of the project.

* Area shaded in green represents the Environmental Assessment area.

Location:

In the environmental assessment, BP Canada Energy Group ULC proposed to drill up to 7 wells within its offshore exploration licences. At the time of publication of the environmental assessment, BP Canada Energy ULC held Exploration Licences 2431, 2432, 2433 and 2434, which were located between 230-370 kilometres southeast of Halifax and 48 kilometres south-southeast of Sable Island National Park Reserve. BP currently holds Exploration Licence 2434R, which covers the following geographic area (which is a combination of amalgamation and reduction of the original exploration licence areas)

There are no designated special areas within the proposed project area; it is adjacent to the Western/Emerald Bank Conservation Area (fisheries restrictions).

Ecosystem:

The majority of whale and migratory bird species that transit the shelf-slope break in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area and are likely to travel through the area when migrating in the spring and fall. This includes migratory birds and species at risk, such as the North Atlantic right whale, leatherback turtle and wolffish. Several canyons are present in the environmental assessment area, including those visited by beaked whales, such as the northern bottlenose whale.

Commercial and Recreational Uses:

Fishing using multiple gear types occurs in the area, including invertebrate fisheries such as lobster, shrimp, scallop and crabs. There are also groundfish fisheries, and long-line pelagic fisheries present in the area.

The possible effects on potential or established Aboriginal or treaty rights are also considered in the environmental assessment. Fishing by First Nations communities for commercial or traditional purposes is the primary rights-based activity that could have been affected by the activity.

Environmental Assessment Conclusions

The environmental assessment concluded that the recommended measures to mitigate potential environmental effects on fish and fish habitat and on commercial fisheries, and to prevent or reduce the effects of accidents and malfunctions, are appropriate measures to accommodate for potential impacts on rights.

The environmental assessment concluded that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, taking into account the implementation of mitigation measures. This conclusion covers the following potential effects:

1.   Effects on fish habitat caused by the discharge of drilling waste (used drilling fluid and cuttings) to the marine environment

2.   Effects on marine mammals and sea turtles caused by underwater noise from vertical seismic profiling operations and from mobile offshore drilling unit operations

3.   Effects on migratory birds caused by lights on the mobile offshore drilling unit and platform supply vessels and, if well testing is required, flaring

4.   Interference with commercial fisheries, Indigenous or otherwise, including effects on fishing activity that may be caused by the need to avoid the 500 metre safety (exclusion) zone around drilling operations.

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