A Canadian oil regulator said on Tuesday it has charged Hibernia, an offshore oil company owned by Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corp and Suncor Energy, over a 2019 oil spill.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Petroleum Board laid three charges for the spill, including that Hibernia did not ensure that its work would not cause pollution and that it failed to follow processes for managing risks.
Exxon, which is the biggest shareholder with a 33% stake, did not immediately comment.
On July 17, 2019, an oil slick appeared on the water near the Hibernia platform, 315 kilometres (196 miles) offshore from St. John’s Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean. Hibernia initially estimated the slick spanning 900 by 20 metres, with a preliminary estimate of the leak of 12,000 litres.
The Petroleum Board did not provide an updated estimate and said it would not comment further with the matter before the courts.
Chevron and Suncor own about 27% and 20% respectively of Hibernia, with smaller stakes held by Murphy Oil and Equinor ASA.