Raglan locals frustrated by the lack of a consultation process on the deep-sea oil drilling to start soon off the Raglan coast have decided to hold their own consultation meeting. Angeline Greensill has organised a meeting in the Raglan Town Hall on Tuesday 5th November from 7.30pm to 9.30pm to hear the evidence on oil exploration and sand mining off Raglan’s coast. She says the meeting will allow people to have a say. “We have invited representatives from Anadarko, Trans Tasman Resources, the NZ Petroleum and Minerals, Environmental Protection Authority, Maritime NZ, MP Shane Arden, to explain to the Whaingaroa community their roles and responsibilities for what is about to occur”, said Angeline. Angeline Greensill -Tainui hapu, Steve Abel – Greenpeace, Phil McCabe-KASM will also be at the meeting to present their organisations concerns on these activities.
For further information phone Angeline on 07 846 1252 or email ehika@xtra.co.nz
The oil wells are to be drilled later this year by a consortium led by USA company, Anadarko. Drilling will be carried out in water 1500m deep at the Romney Prospect in the Taranaki Basin about 100 nautical miles (204km) west of Raglan after the Government granted a licence in 2006.The well will be New Zealand’s deepest and comparable to the Macondo well, which spilled an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico during 87 days in 2010 after an explosion that killed 11. Anadarko along with BP was held responsible for that spill and contributed to the cleanup and compensation payouts.
Anadarko on their website says, “Among Anadarko’s core values is servant leadership, defined as placing the success of others above our own. This describes our approach to the sustainability of our operations. We look to extend success beyond our commercial interests, to our human interests, and we look forward to delivering real gains for New Zealand’s economy. In New Zealand, Anadarko has worked to engage stakeholders to gain a clear understanding of the environmental and cultural considerations of the areas and communities. Consistent with its approach to all international opportunities, the company creates a balanced plan to protect the locations in which it operates and applies the strictest of standards: the individual country’s regulations, our own policies and principles or international standards. “
The Waikato Times reports Anadarko’s New Zealand corporate affairs manager Alan Seay as saying that the Romney Prospect well would be drilled in partnership with Hyundai and it would cost $100 million.
“There’s no process for public consultation … If there is a discovery there would be an appraisal process over three to five years,” Mr Seay said. “It’s a high-risk business, in terms of getting a discovery or not.”
Mr Seay’s comments although legally correct about not needing to consult with anybody, seem to be at odds with the Anadarko corporate philosophy outlined on their website.
A scientific modelling study commissioned by Greenpeace shows that 42 days after an oil leakage of the types of oil typically found in the Taranaki oil prospect areas, that Raglan’s beaches would all have to be closed.