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Shell continues drilling after storm
Shell has been continuing the drilling of its Burger J well in the Chukchi Sea following an interruption in the drilling operation for two or three days as a result of a storm, company spokeswoman Megan Baldino told Petroleum News on Sept. 2. The semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Polar Pioneer is drilling the well, seeking oil in the Burger prospect, about 70 miles northwest of the coastal village of Wainwright.
The company ordered a cessation of drilling on Aug. 26, given that a storm was forecast for the following day, Baldino said. Drilling restarted on Aug. 29, she said. A storm also impacted Shell’s logistical support operations in the North Slope town of Barrow, when flooding closed one lane of a road used for access to a camp housing personnel involved in Shell’s drilling project. Shell diverted some people to Deadhorse and Anchorage, Baldino said.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, a group of environmental organizations, opposed to Shell’s Arctic offshore drilling, have continued to pursue a challenge to the permitting of Shell’s use of the Port of Seattle for staging vessels involved in the Chukchi project. On Aug. 27 the organizations launched an appeal in the Washington State Court of Appeals against a superior court decision, affirming that an environmental review is not needed for Shell’s use of the port.
Further protests anticipated According to a Sept. 1 Associated Press report, Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil Co., told the AP that Shell anticipates further protests against its Arctic offshore activities. Marvin said that Shell is “110 percent ready” to work with people interested in finding ways of improving drilling and criticized those who use illegal means or create safety risks when protesting.
“It’s probably fair to say, this is the most scrutinized, analyzed project - oil and gas project - probably anywhere in the world. I’m actually sure of that,” Odum told the AP.
Odum also commented that he expects oil to be needed for a long time into the future.
“Let’s take a really close look at developing our own resources, control how it’s done and get all the benefits that go along with it,” he said.
- Alan Bailey
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