Page 34 - IAGC The Voice 2017

IAGC PARTICIPATES IAGC RESPONDS TO IAGC PRESENTS ON
IN NCBIWA ANNUAL BELIZE'S HALT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
CONFERENCE AS SEISMIC SURVEY RULES PANEL AT
SPEAKER AND 2017 SPE HSSE
SPONSOR CONFERENCE
n response to the suspension of a
seismic survey in Belize, the
ustin Van Liew, the IIAGC issued a statement which ustin Van Liew was a
IAGC‘s Director of encouraged the people of Belize to panelist at the Society of
DRegulatory & learn about seismic surveys and the DPetroleum Engineers
Governmental Affairs, was a industry's long track record of safe, (SPE) Health, Safety, Security,
presenter at the North Carolina responsible operations around the Environment & Social
Beach Inlet & Waterway world. The statement went on to say, Responsibility Conference -
Association (NCBIWA) Annual "Unfortunately, the dialogue on this North America. Van Liew's
Conference in North Carolina 14 critical issue is too often marred by presentation titled "Exploration
- 15 November 2016. His false and exaggerated claims from within the Gulf of Mexico and the
presentation, "Vantage Point II - anti-oil and gas groups. In order to New Environmental Regulations"
Seismic Surveying, Incidental make sound decisions, it is important provided an overview of the
Harassment Authorizations and to have healthy conversations based challenges new GOM regulations
the future of Atlantic OCS on science and to provide tools that present to the geophysical
Exploration" was the counter inform and educate, not resort to industry.
perspective of Oceana's speculation."
presentation. Van Liew's
presentation focused on dispelling The Belize government halted a
misinformation propagated by seismic survey in October 2016 in
anti-oil and gas interests and response to an effort by a coalition of
promoted science-based and anti-oil and gas environmental
data-driven decision-making. organizations. The goal of the
environmental groups is to have the
In addition to IAGC's speaker government ban any future oil and
participation, the IAGC was also gas exploration and development.
one of the Silver General Sponsors
of the event. This is the second
year that the IAGC has been
invited to take part in the program
as a speaker and is invited to present
at the November 2017 annual event.

IAGC Holds Gulf of Mexico Permitting Workshop

n 6 June 2017, the IAGC and API held a joint GOM permitting
workshop to provide members an update on the status of
Opermitting issues in the GOM and to discuss issues contractors
face in permitting.

Barry Obiol and staff from BOEM held a panel session on regulatory
status review in the Gulf of Mexico and also fielded questions on the new
updates regarding the Atlantic OCS. Ryan Steen from Stoel Rives
provided a regulatory review of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), MMPA, & ESA as well as updates on permitting of G&G
activities in the GOM.

34 THE VOICE