This Incident Bulletin is being issued in follow-up to the Bulletin which was posted on April 30, 2018.

Following a discharge of an estimated 28,000 litres of synthetic based mud (SBM) on April 27, 2018, the C-NLOPB has authorized Suncor Energy to resume drilling operations with the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Transocean Barents effective 6:00 p.m. today.

The C-NLOPB’s Chief Conservation Officer and other Board staff have met regularly with Suncor representatives since the incident occurred, and have reviewed Suncor’s preliminary investigation findings and planned corrective measures.

As Suncor continues to finalize its investigation report into the cause of the discharge, they have increased oversight activities with the addition of senior Suncor and contractor management personnel on the Transocean Barents. Additional mitigations have been put in place and procedural enhancements have been implemented.

Support vessels in the area continue to monitor for environmental impacts and a subsea survey, required by the C-NLOPB, has been conducted by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). To date, there have been no observed impacts to marine life in the area but monitoring will continue.

C-NLOPB staff are satisfied with the steps that Suncor has taken to date and upon review of material presented, are satisfied that this was not the result of equipment failure and that corrective measures allow for resumption of operations.

The C-NLOPB’s continuing regulatory oversight includes reviewing Suncor’s investigation report when completed. This will inform any further action by the Board.

The Transocean Barents is currently located in the Terra Nova Field, approximately 350 km southeast from St. John’s.

Media Contact:

Suncor Energy Media Line
t. 403-296-4000
media@suncor.com

C-NLOPB
Lesley Rideout
Communications Officer
c. 709-725-2900
lrideout@cnlopb.ca

Incident Disclosures 2018