Shell on Monday secured a final permit to begin drilling in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska. Via the Associated Press, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement granted the permit after Shell brought in a capping stack that had been stuck on an icebreaker vessel being repaired in Portland, Oregon.
Shell has until late September to drill two exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea. A company spokesman said Shell could complete a well this summer, but he did not say when it might begin drilling in the oil-bearing zone.
Shell has experienced its share of setbacks drilling in the Arctic. In 2012, the company stopped working on two test wells after its drilling rig ran aground. Last month, Shell’s icebreaker vessel Fennica sustained hull damage while departing from the Aleutian Islands.
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