On 31 December 2012, Kulluk drifted aground on Sitkalidak Island, Alaska after the towing line to the icebreaking anchor-handling tug Aiviq parted in heavy weather. While the rig was recovered, the repairs were not deemed feasible and Shell decided to scrap the unit in 2014

As if to emphasize difficult Arctic conditions, on 31 December 2012, Kulluk drifted aground on Sitkalidak Island, Alaska after the towing line to the icebreaking anchor-handling tug Aiviq parted in heavy weather. While the rig was recovered, the repairs were not deemed feasible and Shell decided to scrap the unit in 2014
Photo Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg, US Coast Guard

Report: Canada ill-prepared for Arctic oil spill

A report prepared for the government on Arctic oil drilling contains some interesting revelations.

Obtained under Access to Information laws,  the document called “An Emergency Response Biomonitoring Plan for Accidental Spills” is dated May 23, 2014, and was prepared for the government agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It was written by the consulting firm SL Ross Environmental Research Ltd. of Ottawa.

In regard to oil exploration, it indicates that Canada is ill-prepared for oil spills in the Arctic

Farrah Khan is the Arctic Campaigner for Greenpeace Canada.

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Farrah Khan is the Arctic campaigner for Greenpeace Canada
Farrah Khan is the Arctic campaigner for Greenpeace Canada © Andrew Norton- Greenpeace

The report says that while there haven’t been any significant spills to date, should they occur, “they could pose some challenges for monitoring”.

It notes that knowledge of key marine species in the Arctic is limited, and also raises concerns about deep water drilling, noting that a great depths a blowout, leak, or break creates unpredictable plumes that could take days to reach the surface adding that, “The behaviour of these subsea plumes is still poorly understood and will require extensive monitoring.”

Not only is the Arctic situation little understood, these deep water operations also pose problems.  The government report  says “”From a monitoring perspective, subsea dispersant injection into these deep, subsea blowouts poses a significant challenge as evidenced by the Gulf of Mexico spill in 2010″.

Under what can be described as good conditions (in terms of weather and temperature) it still took 87 days to cap that blowout. The same conditions do not really exist anywhere off Canadian shores.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Farrah Khan says Arctic cold presents a problem as does a short drilling window in summer, such that any major spill or blowout, especially in late season, might not be able to be able to be dealt with until the following summer,

The long season with little or no daylight also poses problems, and at all times Arctic weather can be highly unpredictable.  The unpredictable weather is also a factor in all of Canada’s coastal areas.

An oil rig is shown in the Arctic in 2011. An internal report warns the federal government isn't fully prepared to respond in the event of an oil spill in the Arctic or in deep water offshore.
An oil rig is shown in the Arctic in 2011. An internal report warns the federal government isn’t fully prepared to respond in the event of an oil spill in the Arctic or in deep water offshore. © Greenpeace

Newfoundland and Labrador relies on offshore oil for about one-third of government revenues. Deepwater prospects in the Flemish Pass more than 1,200 metres down and 500 kilometres offshore are touted as the next frontier for the province, along with a role in possible Arctic exploration.

In response to the report Carole Saindon, a spokeswoman for the federal Fisheries department, said the government is working to address gaps and research is being carried out to study the effects of oil on marine life such as blue mussels.

The Canadian Coast Guard has trained oil spill managers across Canada, Saindon said. There are more than 80 equipment depots in total, including 22 in the Arctic with oil spill recovery containment and storage capacity, she said, adding, “Equipment can be cascaded from any depot across the country to respond to an incident.”

Khan however points out that the Arctic is vast, and the logistics of moving equipment into a needed area can mean long delays dealing with a spill, even in good conditions. Given the distances involved between small isolated communities with their lack of resources and infrastructure, and add in the unpredictable weather, and delays can stretch significantly.

A small flotilla of kayakers and other protest boats are blocked by police as the oil drilling rig Polar Pioneer is towed toward a dock Thursday in Elliott Bay in Seattle. The rig is the first of two drilling rigs Royal Dutch Shell is outfitting for oil exploration and was towed to the Port of Seattle site despite the city's warning that it lacks permits and threats by kayaking environmentalists to paddle out in protes
A May 2015 small flotilla of kayakers and other protest boats against Arctic drilling, are blocked by police as the oil drilling rig Polar Pioneer is towed toward a dock in Elliott Bay in Seattle. The rig is the first of two drilling rigs Royal Dutch Shell is outfitting for oil exploration and was towed to the Port of Seattle site despite the city’s warning that it lacks permits and threats by kayaking environmentalists to paddle out in protest. © Elaine Thompson/The Associated Press

The Polar Pioneer is en route to the Chukchi Sea this summer.

The Polar Pioneer is en route to the Chukchi Sea this summer. © Elaine Thompson/The Associated Press

 No drilling-yet- in Canadian Arctic

After initial plans to begin drilling in 2020, Imperial Oil and its U.S. parent ExxonMobil and BP have said they are postponing plans for oil exploration in Canada’s Beaufort Sea.  A Canadian Press story carried by Pipeline, the oil and gas safety magazine, says Imperial sent a letter to the National Energy Board in June saying it’s suspending regulatory work and planned submissions, including a plan to meet the same-season relief well requirement.

The letter however also says the company is not giving up on northern drilling and asks the federal government for a seven-year extension to their licence, which expires in 2020.  In December, Chevron Canada put its Beaufort plans on hold indefinitely, citing “economic uncertainty.”

Another oil giant, Shell, last drilled in Arctic Ocean waters in 2012.  Using two vessels, the company drilled pilot holes and performed other preliminary work in both the Chukchi and the Beaufort seas. Shell was prohibited from drilling into oil-bearing rock because it did not have required response equipment on hand.

The Frontier Discoverer drilling rig shown at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 2007.  Shell was the last to conduct exploratory drilling in the Arctic in 2012
The Frontier Discoverer drilling rig shown at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 2007. Shell was the last to conduct exploratory drilling in the Arctic in 2012 © Shell Exploration & Production/Associated Press

The company experienced problems in the challenging conditions, culminating with the drill vessel Kulluk, which was used in the Beaufort Sea, running aground near Kodiak when it broke loose from its tow vessel in a storm.  In December, the company hired by Shell to drill agreed to pay $12.2 million in fines after pleading guilty to eight felony environmental and maritime crimes.

Economic value, environmental cost and 75% risk of spill

Greenpeace Canada spokeswoman Farrah Khan says that estimated size of oil reserves in the Arctic would only last three years at current consumption rates, questioning the economic wisdom against costs and very likely risks. She cites a US report saying there is a 75% risk of a spill when drilling in the Arctic.

She also questions the wisdom in terms of the environment, saying we should invest in alternative energy sources instead of persuing oil when we know so much about it’s effect on global warming and climate change.

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