The Grand Banks of Newfoundland: Atlas of Human Activities
Oceans Division
Oceans and Habitat Management Branch
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador Region)
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this information (publication or product) may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without prior written permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2007, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0S5 or at Copyright.Droitdauteur@communication.gc.ca.
- Cat. No.
- Fs114-7/2007
Fs114-7/2007E-PDF
Fs114-7/2007F-PDF - ISBN
- 978-0-662-49898-8
978-0-662-45273-7 (English PDF)
978-0-662-73641-7 (French PDF) - URL
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
DFO/2007-1238
Published by:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Region
Communications Branch and
Oceans Division, Oceans and Habitat Management Branch
PO Box 5667
St. John’s, NL A1C 5X1
Printed on recycled paper
Acknowledgements
This atlas was co-edited by Jason Simms, Charlene Coates, Geoff Coughlan and Dawn Mercer. Maps were created by Charlene Coates and writing was completed by Geoff Coughlan and Charlene Coates.
Authors would like to sincerely thank the following individuals who kindly shared their knowledge or provided data on various aspects of the Atlas of Human Activities, as well as those that took part in the review process: Susan Gover, Dave Hawkins and Lewis Manual from the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board; Neil Peet and Brian Stone from the Canadian Coast Guard, Newfoundland and Labrador Region; Kirk Regular from Digeos; Scott Lewis and Rick Wadman from Environment Canada; LCdr R. G. Thwaites and Lt (N) Jay Warwick from National Defence; and Louis Armstrong from Transport Canada.
Authors would also like to thank the following staff of Fisheries and Oceans Canada who shared data and advice as well as took part in the review process: Chris Annand, Heather Bishop, Tony Bowdring, Rick Boyce, Heather Breeze, Bill Brodie, Noel Cadigan, Eugene Colbourne, Keith Clarke, Brian Dempson, Glen Herbert, Sean Hinds, Tracey Horseman, Leonard Knight, Morley Knight, Dave Kulka, Roger Menard, Dave Millar, Neil Ollerhead, Mike O’Connell, Richard Palmer, Ann-Marie Russell, Sandra Savory, Murray Scotney, Andrew Smith, Gary Smith, Blair Thorne, Elaine Walker, Ben Whelan and Larry Yetman.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Base Maps
- Fisheries Introduction
- Fisheries: Newfoundland and Labrador Region
- Groundfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Groundfish Landings by Bottom Otter Trawl (2000 – 2003)
- Groundfish Landings by Gillnet (2000 – 2003)
- Groundfish Landings by Longline (2000 – 2003)
- Groundfish Landings by Scottish Seine (2000 – 2003)
- Groundfish Landings by Mid-water Trawl (2000 – 2003)
- Greenland Halibut Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Yellowtail Flounder Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Redfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Atlantic Cod Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Skate Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Witch Flounder Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Atlantic Halibut Landings (2000 – 2003)
- American Plaice Landings (2000 – 2003)
- White Hake Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Monkfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Pollock Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Haddock Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Wolffish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Roughhead Grenadier Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Shellfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Snow Crab Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Northern Shrimp Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Stimpsons Surf Clam Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Iceland Scallop Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Sea Scallop Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Whelk Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Large Pelagic Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Bluefin Tuna Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Swordfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Bigeye and Albacore Tuna Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Fisheries: Scotia – Fundy Region
- Groundfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Redfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Atlantic Cod Landings (2000 – 2003)
- White Hake Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Atlantic Halibut Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Skate Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Monkfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Pollock Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Greenland Halibut Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Shellfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Stimpsons Surf Clam Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Northern Shrimp Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Snow Crab Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Sea Scallop Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Large Pelagic Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Swordfish Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Porbeagle Shark Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Bigeye and Albacore Tuna Landings (2000 – 2003)
- Oil and Gas Activities
- Marine Traffic
- Other Activities
Oil and Gas: Production Licences and Facilities
As of August 2005, Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) (2005) indicated there were six Production Licences (PLs) on the Grand Banks. They are all located on the northeastern Grand Bank in the Jeanne d’ Arc Basin within the study area. Two PLs are associated with the Hibernia field, three PLs are associated with the Terra Nova field and one PL is associated with the White Rose field. The PLs encompass a total area of over 40,000 ha.
Regarding production facilities, the Hibernia project uses a Gravity-Based Structure (GBS) for drilling and production operations. The GBS is located 315 kilometres east of St. John’s in water depth of 80 metres and began production in 1997. The Terra Nova project uses a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel that is located 35 kilometres to the southeast of the Hibernia GBS. It operates in water depths of 95 metres and began production at the Terra Nova field in 2002.
CNLOPB. 2005. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. St. John’s, NL. Date accessed: December 2006.
Map depicting Production Licences and Facilities
Oil and Gas: Development Wells (2000 – 2005)
Development wells have been drilled as part of the Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose Projects. CNLOPB (2005) indicates 53 development wells were completed, suspended or abandoned as part of the Hibernia project from 2000 - 2005. Of this total, nine wells were abandoned or suspended primarily due to operational problems. An additional four wells were in the process of being drilled. Development wells include oil producers, water injectors and gas injectors.
CNLOPB (2005) indicates 39 development wells were completed or abandoned as part of the Terra Nova project from 2000 - 2005. Of this total, ten wells were abandoned primarily due to operational problems. As with the Hibernia project, Terra Nova development wells include oil producers, water and gas injectors.
The White Rose project is the oil and gas industry’s most recent development project on the Grand Banks. Since 2003, 14 development wells have been completed or suspended as part of the project. Of this total, half (seven) of the wells have been suspended. As with the Hibernia and Terra Nova projects, development wells for White Rose include oil producers, water and gas injectors.
CNLOPB. 2005. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. St. John’s, NL. Date accessed: December 2006.
Map depicting Development Wells (2000 – 2005)
Oil and Gas: Significant Discovery and Exploration Licences
Map depicting Significant Discovery and Exploration Licences
As of August 2005, the Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) (2005) indicated there were 44 current Significant Discovery Licenses (SDLs) on the Grand Banks. The SDLs are located on the northeastern Grand Bank and are associated with the Terra Nova, White Rose, Hebron, Ben Nevis, West Ben Nevis, North Ben Nevis, Trave, Mara, South Mara, Nautilus, East Rankin, Springdale, West Bonne Bay, Fortune, King’s Cove, South Tempest and North Dana fields. The SDLs encompass an area of over 135,000 ha and the majority of fields contain oil with lesser numbers containing gas. Petroleum reserves and resources on the Grand Banks are estimated at over 2 billion barrels of oil, 5.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 313 million barrels of natural gas liquids (CNLOPB 2005).
As of August 2005, CNLOPB (2005) indicated there were 37 current Exploration Licences (ELs) on the Grand Banks. The ELs are distributed throughout the study area in locations such as the Laurentian Channel and St. Pierre Bank area (Laurentian Sub-basin), the southwest Grand Bank (South Whale Sub-basin), the northeast Grand Bank (Jeanne d’Arc Basin), the northeast portion of the study area (Orphan Basin), along the eastern boundary of the study area (Flemish Pass Basin) and deep water locations off the Nose of the Grand Bank (Flemish Basin). The ELs cover an area of over 7 million ha.
From 2000 – 2004, 27 ELs were issued on the Grand Banks through calls for bids covering an area of approximately 4.8 million ha. The break down of issued ELs by area is as follows (CNLOPB 2005):
- Orphan Basin – 8 ELs (2,124,990 ha)
- South Whale Basin – 6 ELs (1,251,630 ha)
- Jeanne d’Arc Basin – 10 ELs (756,343 ha)
- Carson Bonnition Basin – 2 ELs (404,295 ha)
- Flemish Pass Basin – 1 EL (237,645 ha)
An additional eight ELs on the Laurentian Sub-basin were converted from exploratory permits in 2003 (CNOPB 2004). These ELs cover a total area of approximately 2.1 million ha.
The eight ELs in the Orphan Basin were issued in the 2003 Call for Bids. The Orphan Basin was the only area in which parcels were offered that year. CNOPB (2004) indicated the Orphan Basin is the next focus area for detailed resource assessment by the CNLOPB and the Geological Survey of Canada (CNOPB 2004). This assessment is expected to take several years.
CNOPB. 2004. Annual Report 2003-2004. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. St. John’s, NL.
CNLOPB. 2005. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. St. John’s, NL. Date accessed: december 2006.
Oil and Gas: Historic Drilling Activity
A total of 149 wells were spudded within the study area from January 1, 1965 to December 31 1999; of that total, 97 were exploratory wells, 26 were delineation wells and 21 were development wells (pers. comm. Dave Hawkins, CNLOPB). Five additional sidetrack wells (development) were also included in that total. All of the wells drilled on the “south Grand Banks”, as well as the wells located in the northwest portion of the study area were exploratory and abandoned with only one (on the southwest Grand Bank) designated as an “oil show”. The remaining wells were drilled on the “north Grand Banks” which corresponds with significant discoveries and the main area of oil and gas development activity.
CNLOPB. 2005. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board . St. John’s, NL. Date accessed: August 2005.
Hawkins, Dave. Exploration Manager. Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. St. John’s, NL
Map depicting the Historic Drilling Activity
Commercial Seismic Surveying (1995 - 1999)
Seismic surveying is conducted in the exploration phase of oil and gas development as a method to determine the sub-surface location of potential petroleum deposits. In marine environments, seismic survey vessels tow air-gun arrays and a series of hydrophones behind the vessel. The air-guns emit energy pulses to the seabed and the reflected sound waves from the subsurface rock layers are recorded by the hydrophones. Analyses of the returning sound waves enable scientists to determine the geological characteristics of the seabed and underlying rock layers and help to predict the presence of petroleum deposits.
Surveys are conducted using either 2-D or 3-D technology. 2-D surveys provide a two dimensional cross section of the substrate while 3-D surveys allow a more detailed three dimensional examination. In general, most initial surveys are conducted using 2-D technology and further investigation of an area with petroleum potential is conducted with 3-D prior to drilling activity.
2-D seismic activity for the study area and adjacent areas from 1995 - 1999 is depicted in the map. Each shaded cell (approximately 38 km2) on the map shows seismic acquisition effort as the sum of estimated trackline kilometres shot in that cell. The map only shows seismic programs conducted by industry and not those conducted by government or other researchers. It should be noted that only seismic data surveys conducted from 1995 – 1999 are shown because it has passed its privileged date.
The Nose of the Grand Bank and the Laurentian Basin south of St. Pierre Bank were centres of extensive seismic survey activity from 1995 - 1999.
Map depicting Commercial Seismic Surveying (1995 – 1999)
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