Sable Job Numbers Close to 2000 in October

The arrival of the Santa Fe Galaxy II drilling rig and its large component of Nova Scotian crew members helped propel provincial employment on the Sable Offshore Energy Project to nearly 2,000 in October.

Data released by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board shows the number of Nova Scotians working on the project increased by 235 compared to last month's figures.

A total of 3,270 people were working on the project as of Oct. 30. Of this total, 1,983 or 61.2 per cent of the jobs are based in Nova Scotia.

An additional 10 Nova Scotians are working on the project in other parts of the country or in the United Kingdom. This brings the total number of Nova Scotians employed on the project to 1,474, or 45.07 per cent of the overall workforce.

The arrival of the Santa Fe Galaxy II boosted Nova Scotia employment on the project by 46 people. Secunda Marine, the company responsible for towing the rig, added another 49 people to the project's payroll. In addition, increased activity around the Point Tupper gas and fractionation plant, through the principal contractor BBA, also helped increase provincial employment figures, adding 112 local tradesmen to the workforce.