Scotian Basin Exploration Drilling Project – Project Description Prepared by: BP Canada Energy Group ULC and Stantec Consulting Ltd. August, 2015 SCOTIAN BASIN EXPLORATION DRILLING PROJECT – PROJECT DESCRIPTION Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................................... IV 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1.1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................. 1.1 1.2 PROPONENT INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 1.3 1.2.1 BP Code of Conduct ..................................................................................... 1.3 1.2.2 Proponent Contacts ...................................................................................... 1.4 1.3 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 1.5 1.4 FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................... 1.7 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................. 2.1 2.1 PROJECT LOCATION ........................................................................................................ 2.1 2.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS AND ACTIVITIES ..................................................................... 2.2 2.2.1 Drilling ............................................................................................................... 2.2 2.2.2 Vertical Seismic Profiling ............................................................................... 2.4 2.2.3 Well Flow Testing ............................................................................................ 2.5 2.2.4 Well Abandonment ....................................................................................... 2.5 2.2.5 Supply and Servicing ..................................................................................... 2.6 2.3 EMISSIONS, DISCHARGES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................. 2.15 2.3.1 Atmospheric Emissions ................................................................................ 2.15 2.3.2 Underwater Sound ....................................................................................... 2.16 2.3.3 Drilling Waste ................................................................................................ 2.16 2.3.4 Liquid Discharges ......................................................................................... 2.17 2.3.5 Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Solid Wastes ......................................... 2.17 2.4 PROJECT SCHEDULE ....................................................................................................... 2.18 2.5 ACCIDENTAL EVENTS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE ................................................. 2.19 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................................................... 3.1 3.1 SUPPLY BASE AREAS .......................................................................................................... 3.1 3.1.1 Halifax Harbour ............................................................................................... 3.1 3.1.2 Strait of Canso ................................................................................................ 3.4 3.2 OFFSHORE PROJECT AREA .............................................................................................. 3.7 3.2.1 Previous Studies .............................................................................................. 3.7 3.2.2 Biophysical Setting ......................................................................................... 3.9 3.2.3 Socio-economic Setting ............................................................................. 3.18 4.0 CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT .......................................................................... 4.1 4.1 ABORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................................... 4.1 4.2 STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ....................................................... 4.5 5.0 POTENTIAL PROJECT-RELATED CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SCOPING CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................... 5.1 5.1 POTENTIAL PROJECT-RELATED CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT ............................. 5.1 5.1.1 Planned Activities Offshore .......................................................................... 5.1 5.1.2 Planned Activities Onshore .......................................................................... 5.5 File: 121413516 i SCOTIAN BASIN EXPLORATION DRILLING PROJECT – PROJECT DESCRIPTION 5.1.3 Unplanned Events Offshore ......................................................................... 5.9 5.1.4 Unplanned Events Onshore ....................................................................... 5.13 5.2 SCOPING CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................... 5.16 6.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 6.1 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Project Area Coordinates ............................................................................ 2.1 Table 2.2 Supply Base Locations .................................................................................. 2.6 Table 2.3 Operational Requirements for the Supply Base ..................................... 2.13 Table 3.1 Species of Conservation Interest with Potential to Occur in and around the Project Area............................................................................. 3.12 Table 3.2 Designated Special Areas within 150 km Radius of the Project Area ................................................................................................................ 3.17 Table 4.1 First Nations of Nova Scotia .......................................................................... 4.2 Table 4.2 Summary of Aboriginal Engagement Conducted for the Project (as of May 31, 2015) ..................................................................................... 4.3 Table 4.3 Summary of Stakeholder Engagement Conducted for the Project (as of May 31, 2015) ........................................................................ 4.7 Table 5.1 Potential Environmental Interactions with Routine Project Activities .......................................................................................................... 5.2 Table 5.2 Potential Environmental Interactions with Supply Base Activities in Support of the Project ............................................................................... 5.6 Table 5.3 Potential Environmental Interactions with Accidents and Malfunctions during Project Activities ...................................................... 5.10 Table 5.4 Potential Environmental Interactions with Accidents and Malfunctions during Supply Base Activities in Support of the Project ............................................................................................................ 5.14 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Project Location ............................................................................................. 1.2 Figure 2.1 Schematic of Semi-submersible and Drillship ........................................... 2.2 Figure 2.2 Initial Drilling Sequence ................................................................................. 2.4 Figure 2.3 Supply Base Location Options ..................................................................... 2.7 Figure 2.4 Proposed Supply Base Location within the Mulgrave Marine Terminal ........................................................................................................... 2.8 Figure 2.5 Aerial View of the Mulgrave Marine Terminal ........................................... 2.9 Figure 2.6 Liquid Mud Plant within the Mulgrave Marine Terminal .......................... 2.9 Figure 2.7 (a) Proposed Quayside Location within Woodside Terminal; (b) Proposed Laydown Area within Woodside Terminal ............................. 2.10 Figure 2.8 Schematic of Liquid Mud Plant within the Woodside Terminal ........... 2.11 Figure 2.9 Proposed Supply Base Location within Richmond Terminals ............... 2.12 Figure 2.10 Aerial Photo of Richmond Terminals ......................................................... 2.12 Figure 2.11 Preliminary Project Schedule ..................................................................... 2.19 Figure 3.1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas in the Vicinity of Halifax Harbour ........ 3.3 File: 121413516 ii SCOTIAN BASIN EXPLORATION DRILLING PROJECT – PROJECT DESCRIPTION Figure 3.2 Environmentally Sensitive Areas in the Vicinity of the Strait of Canso ............................................................................................................... 3.5 Figure 3.3 Study Areas of Previous Studies Conducted in the Vicinity of the Project Area .................................................................................................... 3.8 Figure 3.4 Available Benthic Habitat Characterization Data in the Vicinity ofthe Project Area ....................................................................................... 3.10 Figure 3.5