Vision

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board is a world class regulator and is recognized as such.

Core Values

Our values serve to guide our actions and describe our behavior in the work environment. They include:

• Accountability: We are responsible for our actions.
• Competence: We have the knowledge and training to fulfill our mandate.
• Fairness: We are free from bias or judgment and consistent in execution of our mandate.
• Integrity: We uphold ethical standards.

Mandate

To interpret and apply the provisions of the Atlantic Accord and the Atlantic Accord Implementation Acts to all activities of operators in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area and, to oversee operator compliance with those statutory provisions.

Role

The role of the C-NLOPB is to facilitate the exploration for and development of petroleum resources in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area in a manner that is consistent with the
C-NLOPB’s mandate including:

• health and safety of workers
• environmental protection;
• effective management of land tenure;
• maximum hydrocarbon recovery and value; and,
• Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador benefits.

Worker health and safety and environmental protection will be paramount in all Board decisions.

Lines of Business

• To verify that operators have a prudent regime for achieving worker health and safety and the protection of the environment.
• To verify that all statutory and regulatory requirements are fulfilled prior to the issuance of an approval or authorization.
• To process applications for approvals and authorizations in a consistent and timely manner.
• To verify, through audits and compliance verification, that operators follow plans described in applications.
• To verify that if deviations from an approval or authorization are found, that these matters are corrected in a consistent and timely manner.
• To provide effective and efficient administration of land tenure.
• To oversee operators’ production activities to ensure that they are consistent with the goal of maximizing recovery, good oilfield practices, production accounting and approved plans.
• To oversee operators’ exploration activities including geophysical, geological, environmental and geotechnical programs.
• To oversee operators’ exploration, delineation and production drilling activity and to apply special oversight measures to deep-water drilling programs.
• To oversee and monitor the work of Certifying Authorities in respect of approved scopes of work for installations.
• To build an inventory of petroleum resource information for the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area through the acquisition and curation of such information from exploration and production activity.
• To verify that each operator has an approved Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Benefits Plan that addresses its statutory obligations.
• To monitor and evaluate the compliance of operators with the contracting, employment, diversity and R&D obligations and commitments under Section 45 of the Act and approved benefits plans.

The C-NLOPB Does Not

• Guarantee the health and safety of workers or the protection of the environment; the operators are responsible for the health and safety of workers and protection of the environment.
• Manage reservoirs or production; that is the role of the operator within the context of an approved Development Plan.
• Guarantee the participation of Canadian or Newfoundland and Labrador workers and businesses.
• Have any role, beyond the provision of required data and information to government, in the establishment or administration of the fiscal regime (royalties/taxes) for any offshore activity.
• Approve or comment on benefits agreements between operators and royalty owners.
• Promote the industry.