The C-NLOPB has approved Hibernia’s plan to resume drilling and production on the Hibernia platform following a second spill in the offshore on August 17.

The offshore regulator says a comprehensive investigation report by HMDC identifying the root cause and other factors in the spill, and a number of corrective actions, has been accepted.

The spill was triggered by a power outage due to a faulty fuel valve actuator on Main Power Generator B while Main Power Generator A was offline for maintenance.

The power outage resulted in a loss of air pressure, which led to the activation of the firefighting water deluge system. The water flooded the hazardous drains system and tank, resulting in an overflow and discharge of oil into the ocean.

The C-NLOPB’s Chief Safety Officer, Paul Alexander says he’s confident that the restart of Hibernia operations can be done safely and in an environmentally responsible manner.

The August 17 spill was the third in the offshore in less than a year.