Alaska Beat

Shell: Drillships head for Arctic this week

This week, expect two drillships to chart a course toward Arctic waters from Dutch Harbor in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. And despite "embarrassing delays and trouble with equipment," Shell Oil intends to sink drill bits this summer off Alaska's northern coast.

Peter Slaiby, Shell's vice president of Alaska operations, told the the New York Times that Shell is confident all necessary approval from federal regulators will be granted, though he added that only one or two exploratory wells will be drilled this year.

That's down from five wells that The Hague-based oil multinational had hoped for during the 2012 season. Regardless, Slaiby appears optimistic. Read the full New York Times story.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT