Exxon warns oil spill from Canje drilling can impact Regions 1, 2 and 10 other nations

Nov 13, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has supplied the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) for a 12-well Exploration and Appraisal Drilling Campaign in the Canje Block, Offshore Guyana.

The project, which the operator intends to commence in the second quarter of 2024 can potentially result in an oil spill that can not only hit the coasts of Regions One and Two in Guyana, but can also travel to 10 other countries.

According to the CIA, completed by Exxon’s Consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), oil spill modeling was conducted for two loss-of-well-control scenarios- Most Credible Worst-Case Discharge (WCD) and Maximum (WCD).

The study cautioned the environmental authorities: “Stochastic modeling indicates a five to 20 percent probability of an unmitigated spill reaching the shoreline in Region One and the most northern shoreline of Region Two for Season 2 of both the Most Credible WCD and the Maximum WCD, depending on wind and current conditions at the time of the spill.”

Meanwhile, it also noted that the “deterministic modeling analysis” for a mitigated spill does not predict shoreline impacts in Guyana for either the Most Credible WCD or Maximum WCD scenarios.

The oil company pointed out that a spill that reaches the coast during the migratory or breeding season for coastal birds or the mudflats that these species use to feed could be significant. It also said that while the probability of a spill is very low, such an oil spill would likely have adverse impacts on biological Valued Environmental and Social Components (VECs) in the area impacted by the spill.

The VECs most at risk include marine water quality, marine birds, marine mammals, and marine turtles. The operator stated, “Although the effective implementation of the OSRP (Oil Spill Response Plan) would help mitigate this risk by further reducing the ocean surface area impacted by a spill and oil exposure to these species, the residual risk to all of these VECs aside from marine mammals and marine birds as a whole is considered Moderate.”

Transboundary impacts

Meanwhile, in another chapter of the study, relative to oil spill impacts, EMGL indicated that 10 other countries in three main geographic regions could be impacted by an unmitigated spill. These include the South American Coast, the southern Lesser Antilles and the southwestern Greater Antilles.

According to the study, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica, which fall within those regions, could be affected.

“In Seasons 1 and 2, the slick reaches the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. For the larger loss-of-well-control event (i.e., Maximum WCD), the additional volume associated with this scenario would allow the slick to spread further within the Caribbean Sea, reaching Haiti and approaching Jamaica in both seasons, with the slick tracking slightly more south in Season 2 as compared to Season 1 and, thus, predicting impacts on some Venezuelan Islands,” the document explained.

The operator pointed out that the unmitigated oil spill modeling used to characterize potential transboundary impacts did not take into consideration any emergency response actions. It therefore assured that Implementation of the OSRP would help to significantly reduce potential transboundary impacts just as it would reduce impacts within the Guyana Exclusive Economic Zone.

In the document, it was noted that the application was filed by Exxon on behalf of itself and co-venturers JHI Associates, Inc., Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas, Inc., and Total E&P Guyana B.V.

EMGL had filed an application for Environmental Authorisation with the EPA back in December 2021. Based on an initial assessment of the application, the EPA determined, pursuant to Section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act that the project by itself will not significantly affect the environment and, therefore, does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

However, the EPA ruled that the potential exists for the project combined with similar activities being carried out in the project location to result in significant cumulative environmental impacts. On this premise, the regulator demanded that Exxon produce a CIA that considers activities such as continued development and production works in the Stabroek Block, before an environmental authorization can be granted.

Kaieteur News understands that the exact locations of the potential 12 wells comprising the project have not been finalized. While some wells could be drilled for exploration purposes, Exxon said it is also possible that some wells may be drilled as appraisal wells. Therefore, priorities and schedules are subject to change following any potential exploration well results.

 

 

 

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• Canje, Countries, ExxonMobil, Impact, oil, spill

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