The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) announced today that Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd. (HMDC) has pled guilty to a charge stemming from an unauthorized discharge of petroleum that occurred on July 17, 2019 from the Hibernia Platform in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area.

On July 17, 2019, HMDC notified the C-NLOPB that approximately 12,000 litres of a crude oil and water mixture was released from the Hibernia Platform into the Atlantic Ocean. In accordance with subsection 1(1), paragraph 9(i) and 6(d) of the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Production Regulations, this discharge was determined to be pollution. HMDC was found to have acted contrary to paragraph 24(1)(c) and thereby committed an offence pursuant to section 194 of the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act (Accord Act):

194 (1) Every person is guilty of an offence who

• Contravenes this Part or the regulations;

The charge followed an investigation by C-NLOPB Officers.

A fine of $90,000 was imposed under the Accord Act. In addition, HMDC was ordered to pay $310,000 into the Environmental Damages Fund.

The Agreed Statement of Facts is available here.

The C-NLOPB is the independent regulator of petroleum activities in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area, on behalf of the federal government and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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

News Releases 2023