On December 8, 2014, Noble Corporation announced that it
will accept a plea related to allegations by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”)
that its subsidiary, Noble Drilling LLC, committed environmental and marine
crimes at a Shell Oil offshore drilling site in Broad Bay, Alaska, in
2012. Noble agreed to pay $12 million in
fines and pled guilty to eight felony environmental and maritime law charges
brought by the DOJ.
The charges were specifically related to drilling operations
by the Noble Discoverer and the drilling unit, Kulluk. The government claimed that Noble’s
record-keeping and the company’s failure to notify regulators of water
pollution problems onboard the two drilling vessels working at the site
resulted in criminal violations. Noble
Drilling LLC was charges with knowingly failing to keep an accurate Oil Record
Book and an accurate International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate,
knowingly failing to maintain a ballast water record book, and knowingly and
willfully failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of hazardous conditions
onboard the drilling ship, Noble Discoverer.
As a part of the plea deal, Noble will be placed on
probation for four years. Noble must
implement a comprehensive Environmental Compliance Plan and must implement an
Environmental Management System for all mobile offshore drilling units owned by
Noble and its subsidiaries.
The Kulluk ran aground in the Kodiak Archipelago, and the
Noble Discoverer had to be towed due to main engine and equipment failure. During its time in Alaska waters, Noble
devised a makeshift unauthorized system to discharge oil and water from the
ship’s engine room directly overboard, and then hid the fact that this system
was in use and falsified records. Noble
allegedly discharged bilge water into Broad Bay in July 2012, creating a
visible sheen in the bay.
For more information, contact Toni Ellington at (405)
599-8500.
No comments:
Post a Comment