Shell postpones plans to start Arctic drilling until next year
Environmental protesters blast firm after it abandoned efforts to start drilling before winter when test of protection systems failed to meet standard to gain permit, the Guardian reports.
Environmental protesters blasted Shell on Monday after the energy giant abandoned controversial plans to start drilling for oil in the Arctic this year when a final test of its environmental protection equipment failed to meet the standards required to gain a full drilling permit.
The oil and gas group said a new type of "containment dome" – designed for use in the event of a leaking wellhead – had been damaged during testing.
"During a final test, the containment dome aboard the Arctic Challenger barge was damaged," Shell told investors in an update on Monday morning. "It is clear that some days will be required to repair and fully assess dome readiness."
As a result Shell has been unable to secure a permit to undertake full drilling operations and will have to wait at least until after the Arctic winter to resume its efforts.
The long-planned drilling programme in the Chukchi Sea, 70 miles off Alaska's north-west coast, has been dogged with last-minute hiccups as the company has raced to get drilling under way before the winter sets in.
Some drilling started this month but was halted within days after it emerged that an ice floe 30 miles long and 12 miles wide appeared to be heading towards the drill ship. Progress was further hampered by efforts taken to protect local whaling operations.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/