Canwest: Feds watered down regulations governing East Coast offshore drilling

[tuvor]

OTTAWA — The Harper government has watered down regulations governing oil drilling off Canada's East Coast so that oil companies don't need a backup plan to drill a relief well in the event of a blowout.

Under the previous federal regulations, companies were required to develop contingency plans and have equipment in place to deal with a range of emergencies, including "a situation requiring the drilling of a relief well."

Canada currently has four active offshore oil projects, all of them located off the coast of Newfoundland. The projects are regulated by a federal-provincial agency called the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.

Previous board guidelines said companies were expected to identify a rig that can drill a relief well. Companies were also expected to provide details about the relief rig's "operating capability, its location, contractual commitments, state of readiness and the schedule for mobilization to the well site."

But under the new regulations, which came into force in December, companies aren't specifically required to have relief-well plans. Draft guidelines issued by the Newfoundland board do not contain a single reference to relief wells.

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http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Feds+watered+down+regulations+offshore+drilling/3108766/story.html