Shell gets go ahead for Arctic drilling

President Barack Obama is ending restrictions on Shell’s drilling in the Arctic Ocean – even as he prepares a trip to Alaska to highlight the dangers of climate change.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) decided to approve the permit after Shell repaired a key piece of equipment, which in its former state could have caused a well blow-out.

The Interior Department in May conditionally approved Shell’s drilling plans, but said the company needed several other government permits before it could move forward.

In late July, the oil giant received BSEE’s conditional approval to conduct limited exploratory drilling activities at the two wells, which banned the company from drilling deeper into oil- bearing zones other than the top of such zones, as the company didn’t have a particular emergency response vessel on hand, which is now made available in the region.

The go-ahead for Shell comes with problems were usually done to the Fennica, an icebreaker the corporation lease terms that is actually transmits disaster well-plugging gear.

Shell is therefore being allowed to drill down into oil-bearing zones in its Burger J well, which is in about 140 feet of water off Alaska’s northwest coast some 70 miles from the village of Wainwright. The capping stack, staged on the vessel M/V Fennica, is now in the region and capable of being deployed within 24 hr.

“Activities conducted offshore Alaska are being held to the highest safety, environmental protection, and emergency response standards”, said agency director Brian Salerno.

The club urged Obama to cancel sales of oil-zone leases scheduled for 2016 and 2017 and to remove the possibility of drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Experts believe that more than 20% of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas resources can be found in the Arctic. Shell has been pursuing drilling in the Arctic Ocean since 2007, though hasn’t yet discovered any oil or natural gas.

“Later this month I’m going to Alaska, and I’m going because Alaskans are on the frontlines of one of the greatest challenges we face this century – climate change”, Obama said in his video address.

Now that the equipment – a capping stack designed to shut in a well during a blow-out – is on site, the BSEE has said Shell can drill deep enough to hit potential oil reservoirs in the Chukchi Sea off the northern coast of Alaska.

A Shell spokesperson also emphasised the firm’s focus on safety.