UK Govt Reveals Device to Cap Underwater Oil Blowout

- UK Govt Reveals Device to Cap Underwater Oil Blowout

Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Dow Jones Newswires
LONDON

The U.K. government will later Tuesday reveal a device designed to cap an underwater oil well in the event of a major incident so as to minimize environmental damage, the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group said.

The device was designed in response to BP PLC's (BP) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. The cap works by shutting in and holding pressure on an uncontrolled well and uses a choke and a series of valves to stop the flow of oil into the water.

The device can be deployed in water as deep as 10,000 feet and was designed specifically for use in wells in the U.K. continental shelf.

"The successful completion and availability of this cap marks a significant step forward in industry preparedness and significantly bolsters our capability to deal with a major loss of well control," said James House, chair of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group.

The device allows a quick response and is essential for minimizing potential pollution in the water, even though the U.K hasn't had a major loss of well control in 20 years of offshore operations, House said.

Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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Ottawa and Quebec reach deal on Old Harry oil and gas prospect

Ottawa and Quebec reach deal on Old Harry oil and gas prospect

March 23, 2011 - 23:22

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Ottawa and Quebec have reached a deal on a disputed underwater energy prospect that could mean billions of dollars for the province.

The Canadian Press has learned that federal Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis and his Quebec counterpart, Nathalie Normandeau, will sign a deal Thursday on the Old Harry oil and natural gas deposit.

Such a deal would come on the eve of an expected federal election call and could prove a boon to the Conservatives as they push to boost their support in Quebec.

Sources within the federal government said the new deal will see Quebec get 100 per cent of the royalties from the area.

Old Harry is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and straddles the border between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador border. It has been at the centre of a feud between the two provinces for years.

The dispute has centred around ownership of the seabed and the territorial divide between Quebec and Newfoundland.

The reservoir could represent billions of dollars in revenue and has a potential output of two billion barrels of oil and 5,000 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Newfoundland and Labrador has already laid claim to the bulk of the offshore oil reserve and granted a permit to a company to explore the area.

Quebec meanwhile has been pushing for exclusive rights to the deposit and called on Ottawa to stop any new drilling or seismic testing permits for Old Harry until ongoing environmental studies have been completed.

The environmental work is scheduled for completion in 2012.

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