Shell Abandons Alaska Arctic Drilling

For several years, we have followed Shell Oil’s expensive, dangerous and almost farcical attempts to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea in the Alaska’s Arctic. Shell has faced protests, multiple groundings, technical failures, and citations for safety and pollution violations. Worst … Continue reading

Shell’s Arctic Troubles Continues — Icebreaker Fennica Sent South for Repairs

In 2012, Shell’s attempt to drill in the Chukchi Sea in the Alaska’s Arctic proved to be an expensive and dangerous farce, featuring groundings, equipment failures, explosions and citations for safety violations. Returning two years later with an flotilla of 29 ships, Shell’s … Continue reading

“Paddle in Seattle” Protests Around Shell’s Polar Pioneer — Saying “Shell-No” to Arctic Drilling

Just over a week ago, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management granted conditional approval for Shell to begin exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea in the Alaskan Arctic. Last Thursday, the Polar Pioneer, a semi-submersible drilling rig, owned … Continue reading

Shell Drilling Rig Kulluk Refloated

The Shell drilling rig, Kulluck, which broke its towline and was blown aground off Alaska’s Sitkalidak Island on New Year’s Eve, is reported to have been refloated and made ready for a thirty mile tow to the sheltered waters of Kodiak Island’s … Continue reading

Shell’s Alaska Drilling Rigs – Towlines, Taxes and Engine Failures

The plan was to move Shell’s two drilling rigs from Alaska to Seattle Washington for maintenance and repair.  Shell’s tax bill, however, may have also played a role in the timing of the move. Things have definitely not gone according to plan. … Continue reading

Shell Drilling Rig, Kulluk, Loaded with Fuel, Aground on Sitkalidak Island in Gulf of Alaska

On Monday night, the Shell Oil drilling rig, the Kulluk, broke free from its towlines during heavy weather and ran aground on the east coast of Sitkalidak Island in the Gulf of Alaska.  Sitkalidak Island is an uninhabited island separated … Continue reading