Premier John Hamm of Nova Scotia and Premier Roger Grimes of Newfoundland and Labrador addressed exploration opportunities offshore Canada's Atlantic coast. This presentation took place following the resolution of a boundary dispute that had halted activity in part of the offshore area between the two provinces. "We are here before you as allies," said Hamm in a press conference at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston May 7. Grimes said, "A whole new frontier has opened up off the south coast of our province."
Both Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have seen positive activity over the past few years. With the start-up of Terra Nova in January and the White Rose project rapidly moving forward, Newfoundland is beginning to produce some of its significant reserves. Plans are now in place to drill exploration wells in new areas, including the Flemish Pass, the South Whale Basin, and the Laurentian Sub-basin. "Canada remains the most cost-competitive industrial country in the world," Grimes said, adding that the resolution of the boundary dispute makes the area even more attractive.
With the uncertainty over jurisdiction out of the way, the provinces are well placed to pursue some of the many opportunities open to them. In Nova Scotia, that includes deepwater drilling, which is already in progress. Several companies are readying rigs to drill in the deepwater areas this summer in what Premier Hamm called "a wave of deepwater drilling, the likes of which we have never seen offshore Nova Scotia."
