Shell faces tighter drill schedule in US Arctic

Keeping it covered: the US Coast Guard on operations off Alaska

REUTERS/SCANPIX

By Blake Wright Houston

 19 July 2012 22:59 GMT

A wayward drillship and compliance issues on a key air permit could result in a more substantial bite out of supermajor Shell’s already-shortened drilling schedule in the US Arctic.

Last weekend, drillship Noble Discoverer dragged anchor and drifted toward the shore of Unalaska Island near Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

A US Coast Guard inspection found no damage or evidence of the rig running aground, but photos taken by several persons on location in Dutch Harbor show the drillship very close to the shoreline.

Shell expected to send its divers down as Upstream went to press to inspect the hull of the unit to ensure that no damage occurred.

“The inspection by the divers will confirm — or not — what was observed by the…

Become an Upstream member!

Membership includes a subscription to our weekly newspaper providing in-depth news from the energy industry, plus full-access to this site and its archives. Still not convinced? Try our free trial.

Already a member?

Login

Upstream share price index