Shell suspends Arctic drilling for 2013

February 28, 2013

Royal Dutch Shell has said that it will suspend its offshore drilling programme in the Arctic for the rest of 2013 in order to give time to ensure safety.

The decision to pause drilling for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska was widely expected, following a catalogue of problems last year.

The US Department of Justice is looking into safety failures at one rig.

The move "will give us time to ensure the readiness of all our equipment and people", said Marvin Odum of Shell Oil.

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