On Monday, July 20, Hibernia Management and Development Company (HMDC) reported that while conducting production operations late on July 19, water sampling indicated an exceedance of produced water discharge. Produced water is a mixture of seawater from the reservoir, seawater used in injection, drilling and production fluids used in normal production operations.

No workers were injured and all wells are in a safe state. HMDC immediately shut-in Hibernia production and the produced water overboard discharge was isolated.

A sheen was observed by satellite 2.5 kilometers from the Hibernia platform and confirmed by vessel observation. A Remotely Operated Vehicle was deployed subsea and confirmed there is no continuous release. HMDC has deployed a tracker buoy and continue surveillance activities of the area. The volume of the discharge and its composition are being determined.

No affected wildlife have been observed to date. Monitoring continues from the platform and vessels dispatched to conduct visual observations, and the C-NLOPB is in close contact with HMDC officials as well as government agencies including Canadian Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. One Ocean, the liaison organization established by and for the fishing and petroleum industries of Newfoundland and Labrador, was notified and a Notice to Mariners disseminated.

The C-NLOPB is actively monitoring HMDC’s response to the incident with other agencies. Decisions on possible regulatory enforcement action will follow in due course.

The Hibernia Platform is located 315 kilometres east southeast of St. John’s.

Media Contact:

HMDC
Margot Bruce-O’Connell
Public and Government Affairs
709-746-8383
margot.p.bruce-o’connell@exxonmobil.com

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

Incident Disclosures 2020