Oil Spill Containment Vessel News

Royal Dutch Shell expects to drill 8 wells in the second half of its two-year Arctic exploration program, 3 more than originally planned. Stubborn ice sheets and permit delays have reduced the amount of time available for Shell to complete the first five wells this year, reports 'Fox Business News'. Shell, which still plans to drill ten wells in two years, is busy working with the U.S. coastguard to complete a special oil spill containment vessel that is being retrofitted to operate in more challenging conditions. The Shell spokesman said ice in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas is thicker than it has it has been in more than a decade. The company has previously indicated that it expects to begin drilling sometime in early August. Source: Fox Business News

While much attention justifiably has been paid to the expansion of offshore energy operations in the Arctic, according to a Reuters report one of the pioneers, Shell, has hit a few snags in its long-anticipated exploration drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. According to the news agency, heavier than expected ice in Arctic waters off Alaska will likely delay until August it exploration drilling, and according to a report in the July 11 edition of the Wall Street Journal the company is facing delays to get final approval from the U.S.