Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Salazar orders review of 2012 Arctic oil, gas drilling

The US Department of the Interior has launched an expedited, high-level assessment of the 2012 offshore drilling program in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, Interior Sec. Ken Salazar announced. The assessment, which will take 60 days, will review activities and identify challenges and lessons learned, he said. It will pay special attention to problems Shell Offshore Co. encountered in connection with certification of its containment vessel, the Arctic Challenger; the deployment of its containment dome; and operational issues associated with its two drilling rigs, the Noble Discoverer and the Kulluk, Salazar said on Jan. 8. US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Tommy Beaudreau, who has been selected to serve as Acting Assistant Interior Sec. for Land and Minerals Management, will lead the assessment, with technical assistance from the US Coast Guard. He said the review will look at Shell’s safety management systems, its oversight of contracted services, and its ability to meet the strict standards in place for Arctic oil and gas development...more

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