Historical Timeline
| The Queen Charlotte Basin, both onshore and offshore, has been a target for oil and gas exploration since the 1950's. Although a moratorium prohibiting any exploration has been in place since 1972, many oil companies still hold leases on lands in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. A brief history of offshore exploration, the assigning of the moratorium, and then subsequent talks to lift that moratorium is detailed below. |
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1963 – Exploration surveys begun by Shell Canada including mapping of sea floor geology, aeromagnetic and seismic surveys in the area (SPARK, 1993).
1967-1969 – Eight wells drilled by Shell Canada in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. Four of the wells show signs of oil and gas, although the showings are minor and not considered significant (COGLA and BCEMPR, 1984).
1970 – British Columbia imposes moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the Juan de Fuca and Georgia Straits (BCME, 1983, COGLA and BCEMPR, 1984).
1972 – Last private sector seismic survey performed by Chevron (COGLA and BCEMPR, 1984). Federal government imposes a moratorium on crude oil tanker travel from Valdez, Alaska through Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. Following this, a federal Order-in-Council prohibits further exploratory drilling in these same waters for an indefinite period.
1981 – The provincial government of British Columbia reinforces the federal moratorium, also for an indefinite period. These moratoria prohibit all private sector sea floor exploration offshore of British Columbia (SPARK, 1993).
1982 – January – Petro-Canada successfully completes negotiations with the federal Department of Energy, Mines and Resources for three blocks of exploratory permits in the area of interest. Chevron, seeking renewal of exploratory activity in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound, prepares an initial environmental evaluation (IEE) for the federal Canada Oil and Gas Lands Administration (COGLA) (Chevron, 1982).
1983 – July – Petro-Canada Inc. submits their IEE to the federal and provincial government, also as part of a proposal to renew oil and gas exploration in the area of interest (Petro-Canada, 1983).
1983 – September – Federal Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and British Columbia Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources sign an agreement to undergo a public review of the potential effects of offshore oil and gas exploration north of Vancouver Island using the previously submitted government and industry IEEs as background information. Consideration is to be given to the social and economic effects of offshore exploration as a preview to any consideration to lifting the federal and provincial moratoriums. The review is undertaken by an independent panel made up of five members acceptable to both governments, with each government choosing two of the members and the chairperson chosen by cooperation (COGLA and BCEMPR, 1984). British Columbia Ministry of Environment submits their IEE in response to the proposal from Petro-Canada and Chevron to renew oil and gas exploration in the offshore of British Columbia (BCME, 1983).
1984 – Approximately 80 social and environmental scientists from both the provincial and federal governments, and invited non-government participants, are convened to conduct a rigorous evaluation of the IEEs presented by Chevron and Petro-Canada (COGLA and BCEMPR, 1984). Federal and Provincial Ministers of the Environment appoint five members of the West Coast Offshore Exploration Environmental Assessment Panel to conduct a public review (WCOEEAP, 1986). The panel requests additional information from the government, Chevron and Petro-Canada to supplement the IEEs (WCOEEAP, 1986).
1984 – November – Petro-Canada withdraws from the public review process. The Panel holds public information meetings in Vancouver, Victoria and fourteen north coast communities in order to allow Chevron to describe its proposed offshore exploration program. Simultaneously, the Panel presents its review mandate (WCOEEAP, 1986).
1985 – Workshops are held in a number of northern communities in order to encourage participation in the public hearings (WCOEEAP, 1986). Panel hearings are held in eighteen communities in mid- and northern BC and Vancouver Island, Victoria and Vancouver (WCOEEAP, 1986).
1986 – The Panel review document is released outlining the public review process and the resulting recommendations before exploration can be allowed, including: 1) exploration must be contingent upon a research programme to enhance scientific understanding of aspects of marine environment most directly affected by operations; 2) guarantees that proper technologies and contingency plans exist to deal with possible oil pollution/spills; 3) a strong regulatory regime is designed specifically to meet West Coast requirements; 4) continued consultation with First Nations and local communities.
1987 – With a view towards lifting accord, provincial and federal governments begin drafting the Pacific Accord based on the Atlantic Accords for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia offshore development.
1988 – Nestucca barge oil spill off western end of olympic peninsula, Washington State.
1989 – Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound off coast of Alaska. The resulting environmental damage leads to a drilling ban continuation, initially for five years.
1997 – The North Coast Oil and Gas Task Force lobbies the BC government to review the moratorium policy in response to the economic downturn of northern BC communities.
2001 – The BC government pledges to study the feasibility of lifting the moratorium and permitting offshore oil and gas exploration by 2010, provided it can be done in a responsible, safe, environmentally sound manner.
2001 – Jacques Whitford Environmental Ltd. consulting report is submitted to the BC government regarding the potential impacts of offshore development. The report concludes that exploration and development can proceed.
2002 – A scientific review panel commissioned by the BC government submits a report stating that there is no inherent fundamental inadequacy of science or technology, when properly applied in appropriate regulatory framework, to justify the blanket moratorium on offshore oil gas exploration or development. The panel also admits that gaps in knowledge exist concerning key issues associated with development that must be addressed.
2003 – The Royal Society of Canada submits a report to the federal government confirming the findings of the scientific review panel.
2003 – A Federal Public Review is commissioned to meet with citizens and businesses across BC to hear the views of the public regarding as to whether or not the federal moratorium should be lifted for the Queen Charlotte area, and to examine the broad environmental and socioeconomic impacts.
(early summary courtesy Erin Hildebrand)
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