Italy's Eni has started drilling the first of two planned oil exploration wells from a man-made island in Alaska's Beaufort Sea.
Eni spudded the well following a pre-drill inspection in early December, according to the US Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
"During a pre-drill inspection BSEE examined drilling equipment, assessed overall readiness, tested key safety devices, and verified lease stipulations and environmental mitigation measures," the BSEE said.
