Deep drilling off N.L. starts Sunday

Chevron Canada Ltd. is preparing to start drillingthe country'sdeepest offshore oil well off Newfoundland Sunday, just as a devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico focuses attention on the risks of undersea drilling.

"We did a complete review top to bottom the systems, the equipment, the processes, the people and the skills that were in place," said David MacInnis, Chevron Canada's vice-president of policy, government and public affairs.

"We didn't need to make any changes, but it's something that on an ongoing basis we'll review and monitor."

Workers willbegin drilling the Lona O-55 prospect in the Orphan Basin, about 430 kilometres northeast of St. John's. At more than 2.5 kilometres underwater, it would set a new record for Canadian offshore drilling, according to Chevron's website.

The April 20 blowout at a 1.5-kilometre-deep well off the Louisiana coast involved a rig owned by Transocean Inc., working for BP.

Gulf blowout killed 11 people

An estimated 757,000 litres of crude a day have been spilling into the Gulf since the blowout, which killed 11 people. On Friday, BP lowered a concrete-and-steel vault onto the well inan effortto staunch the flow.

MacInnis said Chevron trains its employees and contractors on safety procedures, and tests all of its equipment before drilling begins.

The drill ship that will be used the Stena Carron is well suited for the harsh, remote North Atlantic, he added.

"Using the Stena Carron, which was specially designed for this environment, we know we've got the right equipment," he said, noting that the ship has been used in frigid waters off Scotland and Newfoundland before.

There will also be plenty of supervision on board, he said.

"We have five folks on board whose only job is to provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week technical oversight to the personnel on board, both Chevron employees and contractor employees."

Could drill relief wells

In the event of a blowout, Chevron has two drill ships under contract that could drill relief wells in the Orphan Basin, MacInnis said.Relief wells help contain spills by easing the pressure.

University of Calgary business professor Bob Schulz said he expects drilling safety procedures to come under increased scrutiny in light of the BP incidentin theGulf,but not to so great an extent that it would hamper the industry.

"I think there's going to be a heightened level of security on both the corporate side and the government side," said Schulz.

"I think that, if I were Chevron, I'd have more people watching what's going on. I'd have my very experienced, deep-well people there watching and observing just to make sure that everyone that's working for the drilling company is doing things properly."