Shell to Get Permission to Drill in the Arctic
The US government is expected this week to give the go-ahead to a controversial plan by Shell Oil Company, one of the largest oil companies in the world to restart drilling for oil in the Arctic.
The UPI reports that the decision rests on the U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who is expected to announce the decision on Wednesday.
The green light from Sally Jewell, the interior secretary, will spark protests from environmentalists who have campaigned against proposed exploration by Shell.
Environmentalists are concerned with the issue, since technology has not been prepared to deal with an oil spill in that region. The Environmental Impact Statement claims there is a 75 percent chance of a large spill occurring.
The Anglo-Dutch group sources said that the drilling will occur in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas of the Arctic, near Alaska.
"We take extra precautions to work safely in Arctic conditions, for example by using extra barriers to prevent oil spills. Developing the Arctic could be essential to securing energy supplies for the future, but it will mean balancing economic, environmental and social challenges,” Shell says.
Greenpeace argues that drilling in extreme Arctic conditions is always risky, especially during a period when industry is trying to reduce overheads due to a price of $50 per barrel oil.
