NEWS BULLETIN

June 26, 2007 --- Vol. 13, No. 57June 2007

North Slope Borough wants DNR review of Shell Beaufort Sea ACMP finding

On June 25 the North Slope Borough requested elevation to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources commissioner of the proposed finding that Shell’s planned drilling program in the Beaufort Sea is consistent with the Alaska Coastal Management Plan. DNR’s Office of Project Management and Permitting had issued a proposed ACMP consistency response on June 19.

This summer Shell plans to do some exploratory drilling using the Kulluk drilling platform and for the Frontier Discoverer drilling vessel at its Sivulliq prospect, formerly Hammerhead, on the western side of Camden Bay.

Randy Bates, deputy director of OPMP, has told Petroleum News that, as a result of the borough’s request, DNR will convene a meeting of all interested parties, to seek a means of resolving the borough’s objections to the ACMP finding. The DNR commissioner has 45 days from the date of the North Slope Borough’s appeal to make a final determination of whether the Shell project is consistent with the ACMP.

Among a lengthy list of concerns, the borough claims that Shell has not provided sufficient specific drilling site information to determine ACMP consistency and that the company has not specified mitigation measures and agreements beyond the 2007 drilling season. The borough also says that proposed mitigation measures do not adequately address environmental and subsistence hunting concerns raised by North Slope residents.

For the complete story see the July 1 edition of Petroleum News.


Petroleum News - Phone: 1-907 522-9469
[email protected] --- https://www.PetroleumNews.com
S U B S C R I B E

CLICK BELOW FOR A MESSAGE FROM OUR ADVERTISERS.