Shell suspends Arctic offshore drilling [View all]

[ProSense]

Shell suspends Arctic offshore drilling

by beach babe in fl

In welcome news Shell has announced that it will cease drilling in Arctic waters due to safety issues.

Guardian uk

Shell shut down its 2013 drilling season in the Arctic waters off Alaska on Wednesday, after a series of mishaps and mechanical failures. The oil company said in a statement it was putting its operations off the coast of Alaska on pause for 2013, but remained committed to drilling at a later stage.

After embarrassing incidents in which Royal Dutch Shell could not complete work on a spill-response barge required for drilling into petroleum-bearing rock.

And the drill vessel Kulluk, used in the Beaufort Sea, was damaged when it broke loose from its tow vessel and ran aground New Year's Eve in heavy weather.The Kulluk and a second drilling rig, the Noble Discoverer, will be towed to Asia for maintenance and repairs, the company says.

"Given Shell's performance over the past year, their decision to pause drilling for 2013 is one of the smartest moves they've made regarding Arctic operations," said Andrew Hartsig, Arctic programme director of the Ocean Conservancy. "Shell has clearly demonstrated that the company is not prepared to conduct safe and responsible operations in icy Arctic waters."

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Shell's decision to call time on Arctic drilling for 2013 pre-empts the anticipated release next week of a high-level government review of Shell's first year in the Arctic – which was plagued by harsh weather and the breakdown of two key pieces of equipment. The review focused specifically on Shell's mechanical breakdowns in the Arctic, and possible safety and environmental lapses. The interior secretary, Ken Salazar, said soon after ordering the review that he had doubts about whether drilling could be safely conducted in the Arctic at all.

This gives evidence and time for more study on the perils of drilling for oil in the Arctic. We must continue to pressure the Obama administration to consider this evidence.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/27/1190343/-Shell-suspends-Arctic-offshore-drilling