ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Chevron is nearly finished operations at the deepest oil well ever drilled in Canadian waters, a project that has sparked controversy since the Deepwater Horizon drill rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico this spring, spewing tens of thousands of barrels a day into the Gulf.
The disaster became the largest oil spill in history, and efforts to stop the flow of oil were stymied, in part, by the depth of the well – 1.6 kilometres, a kilometre less than Chevron’s operations off the East Coast.
The explosion on April 20, which killed 11 workers and spewed oil for nearly three months.
"Operations are wrapping up at Lona O-55 and are expected to conclude soon," Chevron’s Tim Murphy said in a statement. "We can’t provide a specific date/timeline, but Chevron will be indicating publicly when Lona O-55 operations conclude."
Lona O-55 is located about 430 kilometres northeast of St. John’s, N.L. Drilling at the site, at a depth of 2.6 kilometres below the ocean’s surface, has been underway since May.
Chevron has defended its safety record, stressing the company has never had a blowout in deep water.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, the offshore oil regulator for Newfoundland and Labrador, tightened its rules in the wake of the Gulf disaster.
The board expressed confidence in safety measures aboard the Stena Carron, which is drilling at Lona O-55.
This week, the board listed the status of Lona O-55 as "suspension/abandonment operations." That status means the drilling program is concluding.
According to Murphy, well results at Lona O-55 will remain confidential for up to two years after drilling operations conclude.
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