The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) has laid three charges against Hibernia Management and Development Company Ltd. (HMDC) for alleged offences related to a spill of petroleum from the Hibernia Platform in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area (Offshore Area), on July 17, 2019.

Two of the three charges relate to contraventions of the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Production Regulations whereby C-NLOPB Officers allege that HMDC:

• did not ensure that work or activity that was likely to cause pollution, ceased without delay; and
• did not ensure compliance with their management system by failing to follow their processes for managing the associated risks for identified hazards.

The third charge relates to a violation of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, namely, no person shall cause or permit a spill on or from any portion of the Offshore Area.

All three contraventions constitute offences pursuant to paragraph 194(1)(a) of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act. 

The first appearance is scheduled for August 24, 2022 at Provincial Court in St. John’s.

As this matter is now before the courts, the C-NLOPB will not be commenting further at this time.

Media Contact
Lesley Rideout
Communications Lead
(709) 725-2900
lrideout@cnlopb.ca

News Releases 2022