Shell crew on the Fennica icebreaker last week found the 39-inch
(1 meter) gash in the hull, likely caused by an uncharted shoal.
Voyage time between Portland and southern Alaska should not
delay the company's plans to begin drilling off northern Alaska
in the Chukchi Sea later this month, Shell spokesman Curtis
Smith said.
Shell believes that drilling can proceed while the Fennica is
being repaired so long as it does not extend into the undersea
zone bearing oil and gas. It plans to build the foundations of
wells and do other preparatory work before drilling into that
zone.
"We do not anticipate any impact on our season as we don't
expect to require the vessel until August," Smith said.
The Fennica is one of two ice management vessels in Shell's
fleet of nearly 30 ships it expects to bring to the Chukchi off
northern Alaska this summer. It contains the capping stack, or
emergency equipment designed to contain a blown-out undersea
well, required for the drilling.
The gash in the Fennica was the second recent setback to Shell's
Arctic ambitions. On June 30, the Interior Department informed
Shell that established walrus protections prevent it from
drilling two wells simultaneously that are less than 15 miles
(24 km) apart, which means the company has to adjust its
drilling this year.
The Fennica is being repaired in Portland and not in ports in
and near Seattle, where two Shell oil rigs had been stored
before departing for Alaska, because those facilities are only
available for light maintenance, Smith said.
Shell has not drilled in the Arctic since 2012 when after the
summer drilling season, an enormous drilling rig it was leasing
broke free and grounded. If Shell discovers oil, it could begin
producing in 10 or 15 years. After this season, it will have
spent about $7 billion on Arctic drilling off Alaska before
producing oil.
The company needs two minor permits from the Department of
Interior before it can start drilling.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Leslie Adler and
Marguerita Choy)
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