Shell Halts Alaska Oil Drilling After Disappointing Well Result
"Environmentalists were hoping he [President Obama] would close off the Arctic to drilling for oil and gas, and some outside the conference venue rallied against Shell's exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea."
Winnie Zhu September 28, 2015 — 3:26 PM AEST Updated on September 28, 2015 — 3:43 PM AEST
Chukchi Sea Town Of Shishmaref, Alaska Concerned Over Gov't Approval Of Exploratory Oil Drilling
Royal Dutch Shell Plc will stop further oil and gas exploration offshore Alaska, citing high costs and “challenging” regulation for drilling in the region.
Shell forecast it will take related financial charges, according to a company statement on Monday. The balance sheet carrying value of its Alaska position is about $3 billion, with additional future contractual commitments of about $1.1 billion, The Hague, Netherlands-based energy explorer said.
The company will abandon the Burger J well in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, saying indications of oil and gas weren’t sufficient to warrant further exploration. The company holds a 100 percent working interest in 275 Outer Continental Shelf blocks in the sea, according to the statement.
“Shell will now cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future,” the company said. “This decision reflects both the Burger J well result, the high costs associated with the project, and the challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska.”
Shell to Cease Off-Shore Arctic Oil Drilling in Alaska
by The Associated Press Sep 28 2015, 2:23 am ET
VIDEO - Inside Shell's $7 Billion Gamble for Oil in Remote Arctic Seas 3:17
Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it's ceasing exploration in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future.
The company says an exploratory well drilled to 6,800 feet found oil and gas but not in sufficient quantities.
Shell USA President Marvin Odum says in an announcement early Monday in The Netherlands that it's a disappointing outcome for that part of the Chukchi Sea basin.
Shell drilled in 150 feet of water about 80 miles off Alaska's northwest coast.
The exploratory well was the first in the Chukchi in 24 years.
Environmental groups oppose Arctic offshore drilling and say industrial activity and more greenhouse gases will harm polar bears, walrus and ice seals.
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