Drilling for oil in the Arctic could get a lot tougher. The US is considering strict rules to protect the fragile polar environment, after a report found Shell tried to drill there while underprepared.Shell attempted to drill exploratory wells in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas last year, but ran into problems: drilling rigs ran aground and vessels did not meet environmental standards. The company is now holding off until 2014, when ConocoPhillips also plans to drill in the Chukchi Sea. On 14 March the US Department of the Interior, which regulates drilling, released the results of a fast-tracked investigation into Shell's difficulties. The report says Shell was "not fully prepared" due to management "shortcomings".
展开▼
