Decision on Arctic drilling rights goes Shell's way

The Obama administration on Tuesday reaffirmed a 2008 government auction of Arctic drilling rights, delivering a victory to Shell Oil Co. as it aims to resume exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea this summer. In validating the 7-year-old auction, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell stressed that the Arctic "is an important component of the administration's national energy strategy." The move illustrated anew the balancing act the Obama administration has taken toward oil and gas development amid steep environmental opposition, coming the same day the White House formally pledged greenhouse gas emission cuts to frame international climate talks. It also marked the second time the Obama administration has affirmed the Chukchi Sea lease sale in response to a long-running legal challenge that began even before former President George W. Bush's Interior Department held the auction in February 2008...more