In September 2003, a crew contracted by EnCana installed a new helicopter refueling facility on Sable Island. The offshore energy industry - EnCana and ExxonMobil - maintains a cache of fuel on the island to be used in emergency situations. Industry helicopters do not routinely refuel on the island - during normal operations they refuel on the offshore platforms.

There are two helicopter landing pads on Sable Island. One - the primary pad, located at the Sable Island Station - was built by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) in 1984. The other - the secondary pad, located 1 km east of the Station - was constructed in 1968 by the Department of National Defense (DND). During the last two decades, passengers and freight have been picked up and delivered at the primary helipad, and the secondary pad has been used for refueling.

CCG and DND maintain a supply of fuel at the secondary helipad, and in 1981 the offshore energy industry placed an enclosed fuel storage and pumping unit at the site. In September 2003, this unit was replaced by the new EnCana facility which is located at the primary helipad ajacent to the Sable Island Station.

October 9 2003, a Canadian military Sea King helicopter - Talon 10 from

Shearwater - landing at the primary helipad, near the Sable Island Station.


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The new helicopter refueling facility provides safe and secure storage of helicopter fuel on Sable Island. It was licensed, engineered, assessed and constructed, and is now maintained, wholly by EnCana. The intent, however, is that other groups - CCG, DND, ExxonMobil - would be able to use this facility to reduce the overall spill potential on the island. A multi-user approach also benefits EnCana because greater fuel turnover ensures that there is always fresh fuel in the system. EnCana is presently in talks with the other groups to set up operators agreements.

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