Data & Environment Overview

This section contains lists of non-confidential geological and geophysical reports available from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board for the Call for Bids NS18-3 areas in the Nova Scotia offshore. As well, relevant environmental assessment and GIS information is listed for each parcel.

Well data and exclusive seismic data can be accessed in pdf format through the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board’s online Data Management Centre. Please visit www.cnsopbdmc.ca to apply for a user name and password.

Non-exclusive seismic data can be accessed in hardcopy format only, at the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board’s Geoscience Research Centre. Please phone 902-468-3994 or email  for an appointment.

Pursuant to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Cost Recovery Regulations, Cost Recovery fees may be charged.  For additional information on Cost Recovery, please click here.

Disclosure of Technical Data

Sections 122 and 121, respectively of the federal and provincial legislation deal with the confidentiality and disclosure of information provided for the purposes of the legislation.

Information or documentation in respect of an exploratory well is held confidential for two years following the well termination date. The following confidentiality period for a delineation well is two years following the termination date of the discovery well on the same prospect, or 90 days following the well termination date of the delineation well, whichever is longer. For a development well, the confidentiality period is two years following the termination date of the discovery well on the same prospect, or 60 days following the termination date of the development well, whichever is longer. General information on a well, including its name, operator, classification, location, identity of the drilling unit, depth, and operation status of the drilling program may be obtained from the Board on a current basis.

Information or documentation in respect to non-exclusive geophysical work is held confidential for at least 10 years following the completion date of the work. The geophysical regulations define a non-exclusive survey as a geophysical operation that is conducted to acquire data for the purpose of sale, in whole or in part, to the public.

Information and documentation in respect to exclusive geological or exclusive geophysical work is held confidential for a period of five years following the completion date of the work. The date of completion is considered to occur six months after the field program is terminated. Operators are required to submit comprehensive reports on each program in the offshore area. These reports, together with associated items such as interpretative maps, seismic sections, well logs, cores, cuttings, fluid samples and paleontological materials derived from such programs are held confidential for the requisite period, and then released for public examination.

Explanation of Program Numbers for Geological and Geophysical Programs

Released geological, geophysical and related reports are listed alphabetically by program number and company code. Upon approval of an application to conduct a geophysical or geological program, a unique program number is assigned to the project by the regulator. The number is coded to contain the:

  • geographic region to which the program relates;
  • type of geophysical or geological work proposed;
  • company operating the program; and
  • sequential number of that type of program operated by that company.

For example, program number 8624-M003-044E indicates the 44th reflection seismic survey in the East Coast Offshore Region conducted exclusively for Mobil, and carried out prior to January, 1990. Since January 1990, new program numbers begin with 'NS' as opposed to '86'. This change indicates the program was carried out offshore Nova Scotia, after January 1990, e.g. NS24-M003-001E (1st reflection seismic survey in the Nova Scotia Offshore area conducted exclusively for Mobil, and carried out after January, 1990).

For additional information please see CNSOPB Geological and Geophysical Information Available on Call for Bids NS18-3.