Repsol EPA fine26 Dec 2019 13:07
Not a good look for Repsol.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to levy a fine against Spanish oil company, Repsol for a mud spill which occurred offshore in the Kanuku Block, even as the agency mulls lobbying government to push for 24/7 oversight and for new legislation to raise the paltry levies attached to such incidents.
EPA Head Dr. Vincent Adams confirmed the incident to Stabroek News when c ontacted, as he underscored the need for around-the-clock monitoring of offshore operations saying that had it not been mud, the consequences would have been disastrous.
Repsol has over a number of months not been responsive to queries from Stabroek News and no comment was forthcoming from the company yesterday even though it was contacted.
This newspaper was told that as the United Kingdom-headquartered Volaris Drilling company was carrying out drilling operations in the Kanuku Block, a valve was left opened which saw mud used to prevent well blowouts spilling into the ocean.
The mud is the blood stream of the operations; it prevents blowouts of wells and there the mud was going into the ocean instead of going back into the wells to bring the drill cuttings to the surface. An open valve had the mud being dumped into the ocean,” one source told this newspaper.
Repsol began exploratory work in the Kanuku Block In November, 2018.
Sources say that the company attempted to downplay the incident.
When Adams was contacted, he said “Yes, I can confirm that there was a valve blowout and there was a mud spill. It is not the issue of mud. The systematic breakdown had the potential of a major disaster. It could have been something other than mud. This here was a breakdown in the systematic process in the conduct of operations to ensure the protection of environment, health and safety,” Adams said.
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