WASHINGTON (Alliance News) - The US government gave Royal Dutch Shell PLC the green light Monday to begin exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska.
The Department of Interior earlier this year granted preliminary approval of Shell's plans, but drilling hadn't begun because a key piece of emergency equipment was not on hand.
Shell plans to drill up to six offshore wells in relatively shallow water in the Chukchi Sea 112 kilometres north-west of the village of Wainwright, Alaska.
The plans have been decried by environmentalists, but the government said Monday that it was carefully monitoring the environmental impact and that Shell would be held to high standards.
"Activities conducted offshore Alaska are being held to the highest safety, environmental protection, and emergency response standards," said Brian Salerno, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
The required piece of equipment arrived in the area earlier this month, clearing the path for Shell to drill, and US officials would "continue to monitor their work around the clock to ensure the utmost safety and environmental stewardship," Salerno said.
Environmentalists have said the region's harsh conditions and delicate, pristine ecosystem make drilling more dangerous and the potential for accidents more devastating.
As existing oilfields run dry or become more costly and complicated to exploit, the Arctic has become oil and gas exploration's most tantalizing - some say dangerous - prize.
The Arctic is estimated to hold about 22% of the world's remaining oil and gas reserves underground and underwater, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Copyright dpa
