Three charges laid for 2019 spill from Newfoundland’s Hibernia offshore oil platform

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil regulator is laying charges in connection with a 2019 oil spill in the Hibernia field, which sits about 315 kilometres off the coast of St. John’s.

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board says it charged Hibernia Management and Development Company with three offences related to the spill.

That company operates the Hibernia oilfield, which is owned by several oil giants including ExxonMobil Canada, Chevron and Suncor.

The regulator alleges that the company failed to stop work or activity that was likely to cause pollution and that it didn’t follow risk-management processes.

The third charge is connected to an alleged violation of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, which prohibits spills in the province’s offshore area.

The July 17, 2019, incident resulted in an estimated 12,000 litres of oil spilling into the Atlantic Ocean.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2022.