BC Offshore Oil

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BC Offshore Oil GasSummit2007
Delta Ocean Point Resort Victoria B.C.

• Nisgaa Lisims Government
• www.nisgaalisims.ca

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Overview

• Why is the Nisgaa Nation involved in an Offshore
  Oil and Gas Project?
• Who regulates the oil and gas industry? Offshore
  Oil and Gas Dealt With in B.C. ?
• The potential benefits of offshore oil and gas to
  the Nisgaa Nation
• The potential risks of offshore oil and gas
  projects in the Q.C.B.
• Concerns of the Nisgaa Nation
• What are the next steps?

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Why Is The Nisgaa Nation Involved in an Offshore
Oil and Gas Project?
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Nisgaa Offshore Oil Gas Protocol

• On January 22, 2005, the Nisgaa Nation and the
  Province of British Columbia entered into a
  Protocol Respecting Offshore Oil and Gas.
  (Recently extended to December 2007)
• In the protocol, the Parties acknowledged that
  exploration and development of offshore oil and
  gas must be done in an environmentally
  responsible and scientifically sound manner. They
  stated that the Nisgaa Final Agreement between
  the Nisgaa Nation and British Columbia is, to
  date,
• the only land claims agreement or modern treaty
  that has been entered into in British Columbia
  and includes provisions binding on the Parties,
  and all persons, in respect of matters that could
  be affected by exploration and development of
  offshore oil and gas, including provisions in
  respect of lands, fisheries, wildlife, and
  environmental assessment and protection.

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• Under section 3.1 of the Protocol, the Parties
  have acknowledged that they share an interest in
• (a) Identifying and understanding the potential
  environmental, economic, social and cultural
  benefits, risks or opportunities arising from
  exploration and development of offshore oil and
  gas
• (b) Identifying the interests and concerns that
  the Nisgaa Nation may have in relation to
  exploration and development of offshore oil and
  gas
• (c) Exploring how the interests and concerns of
  the Nisgaa Nation could be addressed through
  their potential involvement in the regulation,
  environmental assessment and management of the
  exploration and development of offshore oil and
  gas
• (d) Collaborating on the provision of
  information and education materials to Nisgaa
  citizens in respect of exploration and
  development of offshore oil and gas.

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Our Purpose

• The purpose of the Nisgaa Nations Offshore Oil
  and Gas Project (the project) is to implement
  section 3.1 of the Protocol between the Nisgaa
  Nation and the Province, which reads
• The Parties intend to work collaboratively to
  provide information about potential exploration
  and development of offshore oil and gas to
  Nisgaa citizens by
• Identifying information needs of the Nisgaa
  Nation in respect of the exploration and
  development of offshore oil and gas
• Adapting information on exploration and
  development of offshore oil and gas to address
  the Nisgaa Nation information needs
• Sharing information and educational materials on
  exploration and development of offshore oil and
  gas and
• Conducting information events for the Nisgaa
  Nation.

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Our Objectives

• The objectives of the project are to
• Inform the NLG, officers and key employees about
  potential offshore oil and gas exploration and
  development
• Bring information to the Nisgaa citizens about
  offshore oil and gas issues
• Engage Nisgaa citizens on the issue of offshore
  oil and gas issues which will, in turn, allow
  them to form informed opinions about the issues
  and
• Allow for continued engagement of the Nisgaa
  Nation on these issues through attending
  workshops, acquiring updated information and
  continuing a dialogue with the Province.

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Who Regulates the Oil and Gas Industry?
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The History of the Moratorium

• In 1971, the British Columbia legislature passed
  a resolution opposing tanker traffic. This was to
  prevent tankers from traveling through the Dixon
  Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound
  and was, in effect, the first of the two
  moratoria imposed.
• The Federal Moratorium was set in place in 1972
  when Canada made a policy decision to not
  approve any new exploration permits or programs
  in the west coast offshore and to suspend all
  obligations under existing permits. Although
  officially a policy decision, this decision
  became known as a federal moratorium.

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Who regulates offshore exploration and production?

• Joint federal-provincial agencies strictly
  regulate the East Coast offshore industry.
• The National Energy Board regulates Arctic
  exploration in co-operation with territorial
  governments, and it regulates all crude oil and
  natural gas exports.
• Federal, provincial, territorial or Aboriginal
  authorities regulate virtually every aspect of
  the petroleum industry.
• What is the regulatory structure in British
  Columbia?

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The Potential Benefits of Offshore Oil and Gas to
the Nisgaa Nation
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Potential Business Opportunities

• Purchases of goods and services including
• Business services
• Marine transportation
• Wholesale
• Storage
• Architectural
• Scientific
• Engineering

Engineering
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Other Socio-Economic Benefits

• The petroleum industry has resulted in, or
  contributed to, the development of a wide range
  of construction, fabrication, supply and service,
  education, training, and research and development
  infrastructure.
• The more training and the ability to be involved
  in the construction and fabrication activities of
  offshore oil and gas, the more likely it will be
  that they will be employed in the future on other
  projects.

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Education and Training

• Educational institutions have played a key role
  in providing education and training related to
  the petroleum industry.
• There is the potential for industry to partner
  with the First Nation community on industry
  training and business opportunities. There are
  mutual benefits that could be explored.

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Labour Force Population, 15 to 65, all of whom
reside in one of the 25 First Nations Communities
located with Northwestern British Columbia. from
2003 Labour Market Census (SNDS)
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The Potential Risks of Offshore Oil and Gas
Projects in the Q.C.B.
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Potential Risks

• Seismic Surveying
• Drilling Muds
• Produced Water
• Oil Spills
• Earthquakes
• Transportation

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Concerns of the Nisgaa Nation
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Science Gaps

• The Royal Society of Canada (the authors of the
  federal governments science report) identified
  17 science gaps that need to be filled. An
  additional 9 were identified in a 2004 report
  released by SFU and the Coastal First Nations.
• These gaps pertain to the current state of the
  marine environment and species in the Q.C.B.
  (baseline data). It will be virtually impossible
  to measure the effects of offshore activity on
  the marine environment in the future without
  baseline data in place.
• All the science gaps must be filled for this
  reason.

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Environmental Protection

• The offshore projects are designed and operated
  to minimize their impact on water and air
  quality, aquatic species and other aspects of the
  environment in which they operate.
• A detailed environmental protection plan is
  usually tailored to the particular issues of each
  offshore operation.
• Government agencies review and approve the plans
  and then monitor activities to ensure the plans
  are put into effect.

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We need to be mindful of the Exxon Valdez Oil
Spill

• It was on March 24, 1989 at 1204 am, when the
  oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in
  Alaskas spectacular Prince William Sound. This
  changed the worlds view of the safety of the oil
  and gas operations.

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Commercial Fishing Industry Concerns

• The fishing industry is concerned that potential
  spills can result in temporary loss of access to
  fishing grounds and damage to fishing vessels and
  gear. If this happens, offshore operators have
  established programs to compensate fishermen who
  suffer financially from a spill.
• The fishing industry is also concerned about
  spills causing potential contamination of
  species. In response, offshore operators have
  plans in place to sample fish near a spill site
  to determine fish quality and identify areas
  where fish have been exposed to oil and become
  tainted.

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What are the next steps?

• Questionnaires - Nisgaa Citizens
• Receive Feedback
• Present a final report to NLG Executive

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The End