The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) has issued Call for Nominations (Areas of Interest [AOI]) NL24-CFN01 – Eastern Newfoundland and Call for Nominations (AOI) NL24-CFN02 – Selected Low Activity Regions. These Calls for Nominations will assist the C-NLOPB in considering a sector(s) for introduction into the scheduled land tenure system.

Call for Nominations (AOI) NL24-CFN01 – Eastern Newfoundland

For this Call for Nominations, the approximate timing for subsequent announcements will follow a two year cycle as follows:

• April 2024: Sector Identification
• August 2025: Open of Call for Nominations (Parcels)
• November 2025: Close of Call for Nominations (Parcels)
• March/April 2026: Open of Call for Bids (pending Board approval and ratification by federal and provincial Ministers)
• November 2026: Close of Call for Bids

Call for Nominations (AOI) NL24-CFN02 – Selected Low Activity Regions

This Call for Nominations includes:

• Labrador North
• Labrador South
• North Eastern Newfoundland
• South Eastern Newfoundland

In addition to an AOI, nominators are also asked to submit for consideration by the C-NLOPB the preferred timeframe associated with their nominations (either a two-year or three-year cycle). The approximate timing for subsequent announcements for a two-year cycle would follow the sequencing listed above, while the timing for a three-year cycle would be as follows:

• April 2024: Sector Identification
• August 2026: Open of Call for Nominations (Parcels)
• November 2026: Close of Call for Nominations (Parcels)
• March/April 2027: Open of Call for Bids (pending Board approval and ratification by federal and provincial Ministers)
• November 2027: Close of Call for Bids

Safety and environmental protection are paramount in all Board decisions. The C-NLOPB supports action by the federal and provincial governments to address climate change and protect notable marine areas, working closely with governments and others in this regard. Greenhouse gas emissions considerations will be assessed as part of the regulatory review process when companies propose specific plans.

The C-NLOPB recognizes that both regions include important areas for fish harvesters who fish for crab and other species. The C-NLOPB recognizes the importance of both the fisheries and petroleum sectors and will continue to engage with fisheries stakeholders, including the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-UNIFOR) and the Association of Seafood Producers, along with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), other federal and provincial agencies and other interested parties throughout the land tenure process.

For any lands entirely or partially beyond Canada’s 200 nautical mile zone, additional terms and conditions may be applied (e.g. through legislation, regulations, amendments to licences or otherwise) to any resulting licence from a Call for Bids in order to meet obligations arising pursuant to article 82 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Following the review of responses to these Calls for Nominations, previous input and any new feedback from the above-noted parties along with C-NLOPB technical analysis, the Board will determine whether Calls for Bids will proceed. If approved, the Calls for Bids will be sent to both federal and provincial Ministers as a Fundamental Decision.

Nomination submissions or comments regarding these Calls for Nominations should be clearly labeled and submitted by 4:00 p.m. Newfoundland Time, on or before March 6, 2024. E-mail submissions can be sent to information@cnlopb.ca and will be kept confidential.

Further detailed information about scheduled land tenure is available here.

Any parties interested in receiving email notifications on Scheduled Land Tenure related announcements can contact Shannon Bulger at sbulger@cnlopb.ca.

Media Contact:
Lesley Rideout
Director, Communications and Public Engagement
(709) 725-2900
lrideout@cnlopb.ca

Stakeholder Contact:
Stephanie Johnson, P.Geo
Director, Exploration and Information Resources
(709) 778-4246
sjohnson@cnlopb.ca

News Releases 2024