The CBC reported on August 6 that, “Chevron Canada is committing to spend $103 million to explore for Arctic oil and gas in a large area of the Beaufort Sea. The oil giant has won an exploration licence for 205,000 hectares of seabed, off Yukon’s north coast and about 100 kilometres north of Herschel Island, officials with the federal Indian and Northern Affairs Department announced…”
The report notes, “The federal exploration licence is good for up to nine years. …Chevron Canada – a subsidiary of Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, Calif. – must obtain a permit from the NEB before it is allowed to drill.”
The Globe and Mail adds that, “The company has interests in 10 oil and gas discoveries in the Beaufort Sea, and is the third-largest lease holder.”
In 2008, BP acquired three licenses for exploration rights in a 6,000 square kilometre area about 180 kilometres off the coast of the Northwest Territories in the Beaufort Sea. Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada have also secured exploration rights.
To read about the Chevron Program at the US-based Global Exchange, please go to http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/chevronprogram/. As noted on their website, “Global Exchange launched the new Chevron Program (in July 2009) in recognition of both the growing power and influence of Chevron as it rises from the sixth to the fifth largest corporation in the world and the budding new movement of Chevron-affected communities combining their efforts in resistance to Chevron’s harms.” Their Chevron Program is headed by Antonia Juhasz. Ms. Juhasz spoke at both our October 2006 annual general meeting in Charlottetown and at our August 2007 Integrate This! teach-in in Ottawa.
To read our ‘Arctic Moratorium Now!’ web-page, please go to http://canadians.org/energy/issues/climatejustice/arctic.html.
