Posted on 07/22/2015 2:33:44 PM PDT by jazusamo
The Obama administration gave its final stamp of approval Wednesday to Shell Oil Company's application to drill oil and natural gas in the Arctic Ocean.
Under the approval, Shell can start drilling exploratory wells as soon as its fleet arrives at its prospect in the Chukchi Sea, about 140 miles off Alaska's northwest coast.
But the two “application to drill”s approved by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) included key restrictions that bar Shell from drilling in areas known to contain oil, since its safety equipment is not yet fully ready.
The decision is a major loss for environmentalists, who have tried various efforts through courts, federal agencies, protests and other means to stop Shell from drilling the first wells in the United States’ portion of the Arctic in years.
The issue has quickly become a top rallying point for green groups, while the oil industry has stepped up its efforts to open drilling in one of the best prospective offshore areas in the world.
“Without question, activities conducted offshore Alaska must be held to the highest safety, environmental protection and emergency response standards,” BSEE Director Brian Salerno said in a statement.
“Without the required well-control system in place, Shell will not be allowed to drill into oil-bearing zones. As Shell conducts exploratory activities, we will be monitoring their work around the clock to ensure the utmost safety and environmental stewardship.”
To drill in oil-bearing areas, Shell must have a capping stack available, a key piece of equipment meant to contain well blowouts. But its capping stack is on the MSV Fennica, an ice-breaking ship that is heading to Oregon for a repair to its hull.
Until that ship is at the drilling site, Shell’s operations will be restricted.
Shell has stated that it aims to start drilling this month.
The federal approvals carry numerous restrictions on the drilling. The company can only drill one well at a time in order to protect endangered walruses, among other strict wildlife restrictions.
BSEE inspectors will be on the two rigs constantly, and Shell will be limited in its drilling timeframe, its well being subject to specific safety, equipment and operational requirements.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, another Interior Department agency, first approvedShell’s drilling plans in May. But the company had to obtain numerous other approvals, including those from the Fish and Wildlife Service and Wednesday’s BSEE permits.
Environmentalists were disappointed with BSEE’s approval and said that Arctic drilling brings safety, pollution, climate, wildlife and other risks that were ignored.
“President Obama and his administration made the wrong decision today for our Arctic and our climate,” Cindy Shogan, director of the Alaska Wilderness League, said in a statement.
“This decision puts the fate of the fragile Arctic Ocean, and our climate future, in the hands of Shell Oil. The Obama administration may have given Shell the go-ahead for risky and reckless drilling in the Arctic Ocean, but this is only the beginning.”
Greens have pledged to keep fighting against Arctic drilling. As part of that, they are keeping a close eye on every aspect of Shell’s activity to spot any mishaps or violations.
Shell tried to drill exploratory wells in 2012, leading to a string of mishaps that culminated in the grounding of its drilling rig on an Alaska island.
“The Obama administration gave its final stamp of approval Wednesday to Shell Oil Company’s application to drill oil and natural gas in the Arctic Ocean.”
I’m assuming this is Shell Oil Company, Russia?
It’s okay to drill in Alaskan way deep in the sea where it’s hard as hell to stop a well blowout and leak 100,000+ gallons of oil killing lots of sea life.
But it’s not okay to drill in Alaska ‘ s inland ANWR vastness?...
WTF
It’s Royal Dutch Shell, from another article.
Of course, with the Iranians set to flood the market, driving the price down, off shore drilling in the Arctic will be prohibitively expensive. Well played, Comrade O’Venal!
Don’t forget, he made it next to impossible to drill the gulf too.
We have been told that ANWR is a pristine nature preserve. And it must be maintained for all of the visitors. Though it is so remote very few tourists have ever been there. We are just supposed to trust Al Gore that its pristine and end of discussion.
That only took six and a half years. 0bama will have us out of this economic slump in no time! lol
Check must have cleared.
“This decision puts the fate of the fragile Arctic Ocean, and our climate future, in the hands of Shell Oil. The Obama administration may have given Shell the go-ahead for risky and reckless drilling in the Arctic Ocean, but this is only the beginning.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The feckless ramblings of an ignorant, gullible, anti-Science, Socialist, useful idiot.
Too bad this ridiculous woman didn't have a nun in school that told her:
“Say what you know and know what you say”!
Sorry Cindy, you're a fool
ANWR, a pristine mud flat where mud worms are loath to go and flies, ticks, skeeters, chiggers and no-see-ums abound.
Obama doesn't have authority to open ANWR to drilling because Congress has moratorium on drilling there. Only Congress has the authority to lift the moratorium.
That'll piss off Bernie, and Hitlery will have to pretend to be pissed off as a result of Bernie's ire -- but as we all know, she'll be scheming to get a cut. Thanks jazusamo.
Incorrect. Shell drilled there in 2012 and that turned out as chaos. They had to send the drill ships back to Korea for repair so they missed 2013 and then decided to delay thru 2014 and go back this year.
But Obama did delay Shell for one year. Shell's original plan was to start in 2011, but because of the 2010 blow-out in the GoM, Obama stopped all off shore drilling for a year. He lifted the moratorium in 2011, but that came too late in the year for Shell to drill that year, and they went in 2012.
I stand corrected.
“0bama has ticked off his environut buddies.”
At $50 no one will be drilling for A LONG TIME. And if drilling might start, there are plenty of ways to stop it.
I think hell just froze over
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