Regulator charges Suncor Energy over 2019 worker injury on Canadian offshore oil site

Suncor is charged with failing to ensure that every worker wore a safety harness in certain situations and used appropriate protective equipment, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board said in a statement.

On Dec. 29, 2019, a Terra Nova worker fell from a ladder while conducting gas testing.

Suncor, Canada’s second-largest oil producer, has faced scrutiny from investors over its poor safety and operational record, resulting in former Chief Executive Mark Little resigning in July.

The Calgary-based company has outlined steps to improve safety at its core oil sands operations in Alberta after a string of fatalities in the last two years.

Suncor, Terra Nova’s operator, owns 48%, and Cenovus Energy Inc and Murphy Oil Corp own smaller stakes.

Terra Nova is one of the largest such vessels ever built, stretching the length of three football fields. It can store 960,000 barrels of oil off Canada’s Atlantic coast.

Since late last year the vessel has been in Spain, where it has been undergoing work to extend its production life.