Shell 'aiming for summer Arctic start'

Exploration efforts: Shell Arctic advisor says latest approvals are another important step on road to operations

Shell has confirmed it is aiming to begin drilling in Alaska next summer after securing further regulatory approvals for its Chukchi Sea oil response plan.

Speaking to Upstream on the sidelines of the International Petroleum Week conference in London, Shell International Exploration & Production’s senior advisor on the Arctic Robert Blaauw said Shell was “preparing for drilling in Alaska this summer in two operating theatres, the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea”.

Blaauw said the latest approvals by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) last week were “an important step along the way of getting to operations”.

He added the green light was a key endorsement of the science-based operations Shell was undertaking in…

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