ABSTRACT: Petroleum Exploration in the Beaufort Sea Environment

WARD, JOHN G., Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Petroleum exploration began in the Mackenzie Delta/Beaufort Sea Region of Canada nearly 30 years ago. Despite the long history of operating safely in this region, the industry continues to face new challenges to carrying out exploration.

This presentation briefly reviews the physical and environmental protection challenges that have been dealt with successfully during the last 30 years of exploration in this region. In the last 7 years, the regulatory approvals process has changed significantly and continues to change on an ongoing basis. This presentation focuses primarily on the current environmental approvals process for petroleum exploration in the Beaufort Sea region and describes the major initiatives that have been or are being carried out to resolve issues associated with exploration in this region.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91012©1992 AAPG Annual Meeting, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 22-25, 1992 (2009)