Offshore Oil and Gias exporation Potential

In 2016-17, DFO Maritimes Region undertook a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network analysis for the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion. The analysis considered available bioregional-scale ecological and human use data in an effort to identify a draft MPA network design that would protect biodiversity while minimizing any potential impacts on commercial fishing and other industries. The data layers used for the offshore component of the MPA network analysis are provided here. These layers are not presented in their original forms and were modified (e.g. clipped, reclassified, etc.) specifically for use in the MPA network analysis. They should not be used for any other purpose. Please see Serdynska et al. 2021 for details on how each layer was created.Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. 2021. Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3382: xi + 100 p. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/mpo-dfo/Fs97-6-3382-eng.pdfCite this data as: Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. Data of: Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Published: January 2022. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/2d9cce9a-d634-4b49-879f-87c40c52acf2

The dataset contains the digital boundaries for significant discovery licences, production licences, drilled wells, major pipelines and the jurisdictional boundary of the area administered by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator (CNSOER), as well as the inactive Georges Bank permits formerly administered by the Canada Oil and Gas Lands Administration (COGLA). All production facilities have been removed and active projects were fully abandoned and decommissioned by November 2020. As of January 2022 there are no active exploration licences.A significant discovery licence (SDL) may be issued for lands within a declared significant discovery area under the Accord Acts. The term of a significant discovery licence is indefinite and was designed to maintain an explorer's rights during the period between first discovery and eventual production. Significant discovery licence interest representatives in 2021 include BP Canada Energy Company, ExxonMobil Canada Ltd., ExxonMobil Canada Properties, Ovintiv Canada ULC, and Shell Canada Limited. Most of the SDLs predate the CNSOEB; they were issued at various times from 1980 to 1986 by COGLA before the Offshore Board existed. On January 5, 1990, they were all rolled into CNSOEB’s governance. The only exception is SDL 2702 which was issued June 6, 2007.A production licence (PL) gives interest holders the right to produce petroleum in an area which is subject to a declared commercial discovery. In order to be declared a commercial discovery, an operator must demonstrate that the discovery contains reserves that will justify the investment of capital and effort to bring the discovery to production. A production licence has a term of 25 years but may be extended if commercial production is continuing or is likely to recommence.Production licence interest representatives in 2021 include ExxonMobil Canada Ltd. and Ovintiv Canada ULC. The PLs were effective on the following dates:• 2901, 2902: 1991-04-01• 2903, 2904, 2905, 2906: 1999-07-06• 2907: 2003-10-31• 2908: 2004-11-25• 2909, 2910, 2911: 2010-12-31 Inactive Georges Bank permit interest representatives include BP Canada Energy Company and Chevron Canada Ltd.Each production licence, significant discovery licence and inactive Georges Bank permit polygon is a mapped representation of the permit interest abstract. The offshore area is divided into grid areas and permit interest abstracts are defined by this land division. The land division system consists of grid areas, sections, and units – all referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27). For more information on the Canada lands defined areas (Land Division), See: Canada oil and gas regulations land division (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.%2C_c._1518/page-1.html#h-525569 or https://www.cnsopb.ns.ca/resource-library/land-division-guideline).The area of a PL or SDL can be found in the permit interest abstract for that licence, available for download on the CNSOER's website (https://www.cnsopb.ns.ca/sites/default/files/resource/interest_summary_table.pdf) . The directory of wells point dataset contains the surface locations for all wells drilled in Offshore Nova Scotia. The file includes well names, locations, spud dates, termination dates, rig table elevations, water depths, well total depth, well type (exploratory, delineation, production, or injector), well result, and current status. Original data for wells drilled prior to 1990 was collected and maintained by the Geological Survey of Canada and COGLA. Data are also available on the Basin database online (https://basin.gdr.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php). CNSOER’s directory of wells was last updated January, 2020.Jurisdictional boundary point and lines datasets define the outer limit of the jurisdiction of the CNSOER, as described in the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act - Schedule 1 (Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-7.8/page-1.html)), excluding the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limit as described under Part VI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf?msclkid=5309c2b9cfc911ecb5bb107f67772ec1). The offshore gas pipeline polyline dataset contains locations of major pipelines in the CNSOER's jurisdictional area, associated with petroleum production in offshore Nova Scotia. This file is considered to be approximate and is not an official record. Some pipeline coordinates are sourced from CAD documents (DXF), supplied by operators. Some were created using ArcMap, digitized from paper records. As of October 2021, all pipelines within this file have been fully flushed with sea water and abandoned.All shapefiles were transformed into the NAD83 datum using the NTv2 transformation.

This geospatial data depicts preliminary offshore wind licencing areas recommended by the Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador (Committee). These areas were identified as an interim product during the Regional Assessment process. The Committee is tasked to complete its Regional Assessment Report by January 2025. As part of the terms of amended agreement set out by the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, the Committee submitted an interim report to Ministers on March 22, 2024. This report included a preliminary map of recommended areas for offshore wind. Based on work completed to date, the Committee has found these areas are where offshore wind development is most likely feasible and will have the least impact within offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. These areas are preliminary and will be refined throughout the remainder of the Regional Assessment. Through the Regional Assessment process, the Committee is providing federal and provincial Ministers with information, knowledge, and analysis regarding future offshore wind development. Their work is intended to inform and improve future planning, licencing, and impact assessment processes. Any offshore wind areas identified by the Committee do not reflect official offshore wind licencing areas. The Committee is providing these areas to Ministers for their consideration, as the offshore wind regulatory process is being established.

This data set is a generalized characterization of the offshore and inshore environments of Canada’s Pacific Ocean. Compiled from various sources to depict the biogenic habitats, pelagic habitats, and general bottom types such as offshore and inshore by depth strata.

This geospatial data depicts potential development areas (PDAs) recommended by the Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia.The Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia (Committee) provides federal and provincial Ministers with information, knowledge, and analysis regarding future offshore wind (OSW) development in Nova Scotia. Its work is intended to inform and improve future planning, licencing, permitting, and impact assessment processes.Under the Terms of Reference, the Committee submitted an interim report to Ministers on March 23, 2024. This report included the preliminary identification of recommended areas for potential future development areas (PFDAs) for offshore wind. Based on work completed since the interim report, the Committee issued its final report on January 23, 2025, which included refined development areas, the Potential Development Areas (PDAs). These PDAs are based on technical feasibility (using available information) and have the least impact on other offshore users. It should be noted that the PDAs are recommendations only and do not reflect official offshore wind energy areas.

Seamounts have been identified as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) due to their unique oceanography and ecology; they frequently serve as sites for fisheries and as habitat for a number of species of conservation concern. A mix of isolated seamounts and seamount complexes are distributed throughout Canada’s Pacific offshore waters, although only a subset of these are named. We used several pre-existing spatial databases and predictive models to map all named seamounts within Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), all named seamounts fished by Canada in international waters, and any predicted (modelled) unnamed seamounts in the EEZ. These data are intended to inform marine planning initiatives in BC by providing collaborative, peer-reviewed scientific data at scales relevant to a BC coast-wide analysis.

This geospatial data depicts the Draft Offshore Wind Licencing Areas (Draft Areas) recommended by the Committee for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland and Labrador (Committee).*Based on work completed to date, the Committee has found the Draft Areas are where offshore wind development would have the least impact within the Regional Assessment Focus Area. Identifying Areas:Section 6 of the Draft Regional Assessment Report (see Data Resources below) includes details on how the Draft Areas were identified. They are the result of the constraints analysis summarized below, with very little modification to area boundaries. The Committee successively removed areas from the Regional Assessment Focus Area (published on Open Government by the Impact Assessment Agency on December 1, 2023). Constraints analysis steps included: • Step 1: Creating Coastal Buffers.• Step 2: Removing Marine Critical Habitat.• Step 3: Removing Marine Protected Areas. • Step 4: Removing Marine Traffic Routes.• Step 5: Removing Areas with High Vessel Traffic.• Step 6: Removing the South Coast Fjords NMCA Study Area.• Step 7: Removing Areas around National Parks & World Heritage Sites.• Step 8: Removing High Density Fishing Areas.• Step 9: Removing Community-based Coastal Resources.An Iterative Process:Identifying offshore wind licencing areas is an iterative process. On March 22, 2024, the Committee submitted its Interim Report to Ministers. This report included a preliminary map of recommended areas for offshore wind development licencing. The preliminary areas were updated based on engagement outcomes, additional data and analysis submitted to the Committee by Regional Assessment participants, and additional research and analysis completed by the Committee between March and October 2024. On October 1, 2024, the Committee’s Draft Report, including updated offshore wind areas, was published for a public comment period. The Draft Areas supersede the Preliminary Offshore Wind Licencing Areas. The Draft Areas are also subject to change. The Committee will submit its Final Report and Initial Offshore Wind Licencing Areas for Consideration to Ministers on or before January 23, 2025. The Committee recommends that regulators consider the forthcoming Initial Offshore Wind Energy Licencing Areas, and the Committee’s report to Ministers, to help inform offshore wind development licencing areas in the region.Latest Update:The Committee’s Final Report and final version of Initial Offshore Wind Energy Licencing Areas for Consideration were submitted to Ministers on January 23, 2025. This completes the Committee’s mandate. Ministers may also choose to make the final versions of these areas available following the Regional Assessment. However, no changes have been made to the geospatial data representing the Draft Areas (published here).Please note the Committee updated the term “Initial Offshore Wind Energy Licencing Areas for Consideration” in the final iteration of their work to better communicate the areas it identified are not licencing areas but are a starting point to help inform the selection of licencing areas. Previous iterations of these areas were called Preliminary Offshore Wind Licencing Areas and Draft Offshore Wind Licencing Areas.*Regional Assessment Background: The federal Ministers of Environment and of Natural Resources, and the provincial Ministers of Industry, Energy and Technology, of Environment and Climate Change, and of Intergovernmental Affairs (Ministers) are signatory to the Regional Assessment Agreement. The goal of the Regional Assessment is to provide information to federal and provincial governments to help them plan for offshore wind development in Newfoundland and Labrador, and complete impact assessments of offshore wind projects. Federal and provincial Ministers appointed an independent committee, comprising five members of diverse backgrounds and expertise to conduct the assessment.

DFO’s Oceans and Coastal Management Division (OCMD) in the Maritimes Region has updated its fisheries landings maps for 2010–2014. These maps will be used for decision making in coastal and oceans management, including mitigating human use conflicts, informing environmental emergency response operations and protocols, informing Marine Stewardship Council certification processes, planning marine protected area networks, assessing ecological risks, and monitoring compliance and threats in coral and sponge closures and Marine Protected Areas. Fisheries maps were created to identify important fishing areas using aggregate landed weight (kg) per 2 x 2-minute grid cell for selected species/gear types.This dataset has been filtered to comply with the Government of Canada's privacy policy. Privacy assessments were conducted to identify NAFO unit areas containing data with less than five vessel IDs, license IDs and fisher IDs. If this threshold was not met, catch weight locations were withheld from these unit areas to protect the identity or activity of individual vessels or companies.Maps were created for the following species/gear types: 1. Atlantic Halibut2. Bluefin Tuna3. Bottom Longline Groundfish4. Bottom Trawl Groundfish5. Cod6. Cod, Haddock, Pollock7. Cusk8. Dogfish9. Flatfish10. Gillnet Groundfish11. Greenland Halibut12. Groundfish 13. Groundfish (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)14. Hagfish15. Herring16. Large Pelagics17. Mackerel18. Monkfish19. Offshore Clam20. Offshore Lobster21. Grey Zone Lobster22. Other Crab23. Other Tuna24. Pollock25. Porbeagle, Mako and Blue Shark26. Red Hake27. Redfish28. Scallop29. Scallop (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)30. Sculpin31. Sea Urchin32. Shrimp33. Silver Hake34. Skate35. Snow Crab36. Squid37. Swordfish38. White Hake39. Wolffish

The map displays bedrock formations at or near the surface of the land, on the sea floor above the continental crust that forms the Canadian landmass, and oceanic crust surrounding the landmass. The bedrock units are grouped and coloured according to geological age and composition. The colours of offshore units and oceanic crust are paler and more generalized than those on land, although the constituent units offshore are still easily discernible from their dashed boundaries. This colour design, coupled with the use of a white buffer zone at the coast allows the coastline of Canada to be readily distinguished and still show the grand geological architecture of the Canadian landmass.The map also shows major faults that have disrupted the Earth's crust, onshore and offshore, and a variety of special geological features such as kimberlite pipes, which locally contain diamonds, impact structures suspected to have been caused by meteorites, and extinct and active spreading centres in the surrounding oceans.