GreenWatch

B. McPherson Amid accidents and safety violations Shell pulls out of Arctic Shell Oil has announced that it will not be drilling for oil in the Alaskan Arctic this summer. They have exploration leases in the Arctic in the Chukchi Sea. They had trouble with an oil drillship that was being towed to Seattle for refurbishment when the tow lines snapped in rough seas. It subsequently grounded on an island and there were fears that it would spill its oil used for ballast. Eventually the Noble Discoverer was towed south for repairs. Shell has decided to send it to Korea for repairs and it will not be ready to deploy this summer.  Drilling for petroleum is ramping up as the Arctic warms. It is believed that large pools of oil lie beneath the polar region. Environmentalists have warned about the dire consequences should a spill occur in these waters. It’s a rule of thumb that the colder the water, the harder it is to retrieve the pollution. In addition to probable ...

B. McPherson The Shell Oil Arctic drillship Kulluk , remains aground on the shore of a small Alaskan island. The conical drilling platform grounded on shore December 31 after being set adrift by its tow ship which suffered engine failure at about the same time. Alaskan storms are fierce this time of year and 50 foot  swells made towing the drillship too dangerous. All personnel remaining on the vessel were removed safely. The Kulluk was being moved from Alaskan waters to Washington State for the winter season. There are two contrasting stories about why the ship was being towed so late in the season. One version states that it was being moved for repairs and refurbishment, the other is that Shell Oil was seeking to avoid a $7 million tax that would have come into effect if the vessel remained in state territory after January 1 st . In any event, the vessel remains in Alaskan waters and costs for the salvage operation will mount quickly. Approximately 600 people are curr...