Here are a couple of items from the Land of Offshore Oz, or the North Sea, as it is familiarly known: First, the UK government canceled a drilling permit for an operator who had already contracted a rig for a 90-day drilling project. The reason: While viewing a ROV camera's survey, a sharp-eyed marine biologist noticed small, red critters known scientifically as Sabellaria spinulosa, or Ross worms. These worms live in mud tubes that they excrete after ingesting sand. The tubes clump into bunches and may form rudimentary clay-like reefs. Obviously, some of the worms and their mud huts would be crushed by a three-legged jackup drilling rig. While the worms are considered common in the North Sea, reefs are protected by the European Commission Habitat Directive. Renewal of the drilling permit was halted, pending further investigation.
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