In his three-day visit to Alaska this week, Salazar flew over the two seas and visited Barrow and several oil developments on the North Slope in advance of making what he called "huge decisions that loom on the horizon" for the Arctic.
Shell Oil, for example, hopes to explore on its offshore leases in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas next summer. Salazar decided not to sign off on the company's application to drill this year in light of the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Salazar wouldn't give a firm timeline on his decision on Shell's proposed drilling project during a press conference Friday. He said the federal agency is still awaiting expert reports that will tell it whether the federal and oil-spill response requirements for offshore oil exploration are adequate.
"It's a dynamic situation," he said.
On Wednesday, Salazar flew to Prudhoe Bay before taking an aerial tour of the Beaufort Sea Coast, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Shell officials said they met with Salazar in Deadhorse to discuss the project for about an hour Thursday. Salazar also met with Conoco Phillips and Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline.
Salazar then traveled to Barrow where he and Interior Deputy Secretary David Hayes hosted a town hall meeting.
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