Halt deep-water drilling project: N.L. opposition

Opposition politicians in Newfoundland and Labrador are pressing the provincial government to stop the drilling of an offshore exploration oil well 2,500 metres below the ocean surface about 430 kilometres northeast of St. John's.

Chevron began drilling the well in the Orphan Basin on May 10.

New Democrats began calling for the suspension of the project when a rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers on board.

On Monday, provincial NDP Leader Lorraine Michael demanded that the body that regulates the province's offshore oil industry stop Chevron's drill project.

"Why isn't the government pressuring the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board to stop drilling in the Orphan Basin until we know the results of what is now an environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico?" Michael said.

For three weeks now, oil has been spilling into the Gulf at a rate of 5,000 barrels per day from the damaged well the rig had been drilling about 80 kilometres off the coast of Louisiana. 

A back-up system failed to shut down the well after the rig exploded and sank two days later, damaging the pipe running from the well.

"You know, every time we put a boat on the water, there's a risk," said Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale speaking in the provincial house of assembly Monday.

But Dunderdale said the provincial government is confident precautions to deal with a possible disaster are in place.

She said the Stena Carron, the rig Chevron has hired to drill in the Orphan Basin, is equipped with the tools to handle a crisis.

"[They have] an acoustic transponder to shut down the well, a remotely operated vehicle to activate the blow-out protection stack, as well as two ram stacks in the well that have the capacity to shut it down," said Dunderdale.

She said the province is planning an independent review of drilling regulations as soon as possible.

Provincial Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones told CBC News that environmentalists and industry observers she has spoken with are not confident that the province is ready to deal with a serious oil spill.

"Based on the concerns that we have heard from those individuals, we're asking the government to implement a task force, and we will bring that motion to the house of assembly on Wednesday," she said.