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Oil spilled during extraction in Newfoundland

A leak in the flowline from the drill rig to the SeaRose FPSO caused an estimated 250,000 litres of crude to leak into the ocean. The spill cannot be contained or cleaned up until waves subside.

SeaRose FPSO – Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Vessel – is operating in the White Rose field off Newfoundland.

16 November 2018, CBC News

Oil vessel off the Newfoundland coast spills 250,000 litres of crude

24 November 2018, CBC News

An oil drop the size of a coin can kill a seabird. Let’s look again at last week’s big spill

Quotes from PSG members:

A single drop of oil is enough to kill a dovekie, according to Ian Jones, a Memorial University biologist who is all too familiar with the destructive mix of oil and water.

….

Meanwhile, Bill Montevecchi, the Memorial University prof who has earned worldwide acclaim for his work on seabirds, told us that the word “spill” is not an accurate reflection of what happened.

“What we’re seeing is not an accident. It is the outcome of weak regulation,” Montevecchi told us, adding that the Husky was ramping up production after a wicked storm when it should have been waiting for things to clear.

A leak coming from a flowline to the SeaRose, seen in this file photo, can’t be contained until ocean conditions settle, the petroleum board says. (Photo courtesy Husky Energy; CBC News)