Canada allocates funds to help in environmental assessment of Nexen’s drilling project

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) has allocated $206,880 in federal funds to 11 recipients to assist their participation in the environmental assessment of the proposed Nexen Energy’s Flemish Pass exploration drilling project in the Atlantic Ocean. 

The project is located over 400 kilometers east of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in an area known as the Flemish Pass.

The funding was made available through the agency’s Participant Funding Program.

According to the agency, it will assist the participation of the public and Indigenous groups in upcoming steps of the environmental assessment, which include reviewing and providing comments on the Environmental Impact Statement or on its summary, the draft Environmental Assessment Report and the potential environmental assessment conditions.

Nexen Energy is proposing to conduct an exploration drilling project within two offshore exploration licenses in the Flemish Pass Basin. The project would take place over an 11-year period, starting in 2018, and would allow for Nexen to determine the presence, nature and quantities of potential hydrocarbon resources.

Nexen’s current offshore interests in Atlantic Canada include two existing Exploration Licences (ELs) off Eastern Newfoundland (EL 1144 and EL 1150) which were issued by the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) effective January 15, 2015 and January 15, 2016, respectively. Nexen is currently the sole interest holder in EL 1144 and EL 1150.

It is currently planned that the project will involve drilling between one and possibly up to five wells on each of these ELs, and it may therefore comprise the drilling of up to 10 wells within the project area over its duration.

The recipients of the funds include Conseil de la Première Nation des Innus Natashkuan; Corporation Ka Tshishpeuatak, on behalf of the Conseil des Innu de Ekuanitshit; Elsipogtog First Nation, Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn Negotiation Office; Maliseet Nation in New Brunswick; Miawpukek First Nation; Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat; Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Incorporated; NunatuKavut Community Council; Sipekne’katik; and Woodstock First Nation.