The rig tapped to embark on Shell’s Arctic drilling programme set sail for the Beaufort Sea this week, as the Anglo-Dutch supermajor moved a step closer to launching its exploration plan off Alaska.
The Conical Drilling Unit Kulluk departed on its two-week journey from Dutch Harbour on Monday, but delays related to lingering sea ice and permitting issues have already forced Shell to scale back its plans for the year in the Arctic.
Shell is now reportedly planning to drill just two wells this summer.
At the forefront of the delays is the completion of a containment system in the case of Shell losing control of one of its wells. Shell said in a statement that construction and deployment of the system is “taking longer than expected”.
The spill-response barge Arctic Challenger sits idle off Washington state, awaiting final approval from the US Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
In the meantime, Shell is considering asking regulators for permission to begin other work at the well sites, including excavation work that would clear in the seabed for important emergency equipment, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Still, with the window to drill this year closing fast, speculation is growing that the figurative ship has already sailed.
