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Compliance order signed by DEC, BP, Phillips State says agreement will correct problems observed in North Slope broken ice response drill Kristen Nelson PNA News Editor
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and Phillips Alaska Inc. signed an agreement May 5 addressing contingency plans for oil spill response at Point McIntyre, Niakuk, Endicott and Northstar.
DEC said May 6 that as a result of a broken ice drill last fall, the companies have agreed to improve equipment and fix deficiencies in oil spill prevention and response contingency plans. DEC said the deficiencies demonstrated at the drill were significant enough to preclude the companies from mounting an effective response to an oil spill in broken ice or open water conditions.
DEC said that in order to reduce the risk of spills, BP has agreed not to drill new wells at Northstar, Niakuk and Endicott until the deficiencies are corrected.
The drill was conducted in October of last year by DEC.
“We were disappointed in the fall drill. BP and ARCO failed to fulfill their contingency plan commitments to have even the most basic spill response equipment outfitted and ready to deploy”, said Michele Brown DEC Commissioner.
Brown said that the companies have assured DEC “that the equipment problems will be remedied before a full drilling schedule begins. Once the equipment is in place and deployment barriers have been fully addressed, we’ll be in a position to conduct further drills to assess how effective an oil spill response in broken ice conditions can be under the contingency plans in place.”
BP addressing problems encountered “We’re pleased to have reached the agreement,” BP Exploration (Alaska) spokesman Ronnie Chappell told PNA. “We think it establishes a foundation for a successful testing program this spring and fall.”
Chappell said the companies have “put a new three-barge response system in place on the North Slope. There’s never been a response system like that on the slope and we expected it to encounter problems as we deployed it and tested it. And we encountered some problems last year and we’re addressing them.”
The agreement “sets the foundation for what we believe will be a successful testing program this spring and fall,” he said.
He noted that as part of the agreement BP will “adhere to our previously announced drilling program, which calls for no drilling at Northstar until November. And there were no plans to drill at Endicott, Point McIntyre and Niakuk during that time span.”
After the fall drill, he said, the companies will meet with DEC and determine how to proceed.
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