In a status report filed with the federal District Court in Alaska yesterday the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said that it now anticipates publishing a draft of its revised version of the supplementary environmental impact statement, or SEIS, for the 2008 Chukchi Sea oil and gas lease sale in late October for public review. Following a 45-day public comment period and subsequent revisions to the document, the new schedule would lead to the issue of the final SEIS in late February, with a new record of decision for the lease sale coming 30 days later.
In July the bureau had said that it anticipated publishing the draft SEIS in early October, with the final SEIS anticipated in early February and the record of decision expected in early March. 
The timing with which BOEM issues a new SEIS and lease sale decision is particularly critical for Shell, the company spearheading efforts to explore in the Chukchi Sea. Shell hopes to continue its Chukchi Sea exploration drilling program in the summer of 2015, presumably starting in July, after sea ice has retreated from the region. But, to achieve that target, the company must presumably start activating its drilling fleet several months earlier, an operation involving significant work effort and cost.
- ALAN BAILEY