Illegal Drilling? Meh, Who Gives A Toss. Laws Are For The Little People!

NAtional’s message is clear: Laws are for little people, not for Corporations!

Shell Todd Oil has drilled two wells off the coast of Taranaki without marine consent, the Green Party says.

Official Information Act (OIA) correspondence between the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Greens — released to the media tonight — show the EPA inspected the company’s Maui oil wells in May this year.

The authority concluded that in two instances Shell Todd Oil Services Ltd (STOS) did not comply with Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) regulations.

“[T]he two activities are considered to be in breach of section 20 of the EEZ Act and were undertaken without a marine consent,” the EPA said in a response to OIA questions from the Greens.

The two instances refer to the drilling of wells MA-08A and MA-09A, which are extended reach wells — an extension drilled from an existing well in search of more oil. One was reportedly as long as 6.5km.