The Bahamas Petroleum Company logo.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS While the Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) oil exploration activities in The Bahamas may have ended for now, attorneys were back in court yesterday arguing over an application by the oil exploration company seeking security for costs in the sum of $200,000 in ongoing judicial review proceedings.
Clare Montgomery, QC, who argued on behalf of BPC, yesterday argued there was no evidence to show that Waterkeeper Bahamas Ltd and the Coalition to Save Clifton Bay have any assets in order to meet any future order for costs by the court.
Last month, Supreme Court Justice Petra Hanna-Adderley ruled that BPC and Bahamas Offshore Petroleum Company may be added as a party in the judicial review, accepting the position that they would be directly impacted by the legal proceedings.
BPC seeking $200,000 security for exploratory oil judicial review
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Attorney General Carl Bethel said while he expected Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) to seek security for cost in an ongoing judicial review proceeding concerning approval to drill an exploratory oil well, the government will not go back on its decision to withdraw its application to the Supreme Court for cost.
“An interested party who is granted leave to join a judicial review because they would be affected by the result and they want to be heard, the principle is long established that they are entitled to get security for cost,” he said.
The Bahamas Petroleum Company logo.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) has made an application to the Supreme Court seeking security for costs in the sum of $200,000 in light of the legal action launch by local environmental groups Waterkeepers Bahamas Limited and the Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay.
Last month, Supreme Court Justice Petra Hanna Adderley ruled that BPC and Bahamas Offshore Petroleum Company may be added as a party in the judicial review, accepting the position that they would be directly impacted by the legal proceedings.
Waterkeeper Bahamas Ltd. and the Coalition to Save Clifton Bay are seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to approve exploratory oil drilling in The Bahamas.
A Google Maps view of safety zone location Latitude 23°12’ 12.35N
Longitude 079°08’ 14.1 W.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS The government has tabled new regulations to the Petroleum Act, 2016, that establishes the area around the Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) exploratory oil well near Andros a safety zone and a prohibited area.
The Petroleum (Operation of Facilities) (Safety Zone)(Regulations), 2020, which was made on December 24, 2020, establishes a safety zone 500 meters (m) around the facility and prohibits certain activity in that zone.
BPC: “Perseverance #1 a potentially transformational exploration well.” The well is 90 miles from Andros, and approximately 270 miles from Nassau.
The schedule of the regulation identifies the location as “Cooper”, with a Latitude of 23°12′ 12.35N and a Longitude of 079° 08′ 14.1W
krussell@tribunemedia.net
ENVIRONMENTALISTS will learn on Saturday whether Justice Petra Hanna-Adderley will grant their application for a stay of Bahamas Petroleum Company’s exploratory oil well drilling.
However, with that drilling already started last Sunday, one of BPC’s attorneys Clare Montgomery, QC, contended that it is virtually impossible to halt it.
Attorneys for all sides were in the Supreme Court Friday for a hearing on an application for judicial review of the government’s decision making process regarding the approvals for BPC to drill for oil in Bahamian waters.
Justice Hanna-Adderley did not make a decision on that judicial review application nor did she decide on on the stay of drilling.