The man who was at the helm when the Hibernia Agreement was negotiated says it may be time to revisit the terms covering offshore development, as things have changed dramatically.

NOIA, which represents some 500 companies involved in oil and gas, held a town hall yesterday afternoon to lobby governments for help, especially when it comes to exploration.

Brian Tobin says the Petroleum Incentive Program grants brought in by the federal government, of which he was a part, in the early 1980s played a vital role in the discovery of Hibernia and other fields.

Tobin is calling on the federal government to help the industry but also believes the province can help by relinquishing royalties.

He says the Hiberna Agreement still forms the fundamental basis of agreements covering other developments, but that’s almost 25 years old and should be revisited.