In Pursuit of Energy

Chevron says it has never had a blowout in deep water, and it doesn't expect to have one in the Orphan Basin. The company has instituted additional measures in the Basin as a means of preventing accidents such as the one still unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.

While Chevron Atlantic vice-president Mark MacLeod declined to speculate on the cause of the British Petroleum incident, he did say that all accidents are preventable.

Chevron has added an extra remote underwater vehicle on board the drill ship "Stena Carron", and they're confident that their blowout preventer would function as intended. Some believe that a relief well should be required, but MacLeod questions the usefulness of such a measure.

The NDP is not satisfied that drilling is still being permitted in deep water off Newfoundland. Lorraine Michael would prefer to see a moratorium at least until more information on the Gulf of Mexico blowout is known. Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale says she has a great sense of comfort with the offshore drilling.