Shell Moving Troubled Arctic Rigs to Asia for Repairs

Royal Dutch Shell has decided to tow two of its troubled drilling vessels from Alaska to Asia for repairs.

The oil giant said it would move the Kulluk conical drilling unit and the Noble Discoverer drillship to an Asian shipyard.

The Kulluk, which went aground off Alaska in December after breaking free from tugboats leading it to Seattle for maintenance, and the Noble Discoverer which nearly grounded in Dutch Harbor in July last year, will be dry-towed to Asia.

“A number of shipyards in Asia have the available dry-dock facilities and capacity to best execute these types of projects. In the meantime, we are exploring a range of options for exploration work offshore Alaska in 2013,” said Shell’s spokesman Curtis Smith.

Arctic Program Director Lois Epstein of The Wilderness Society commented, “These serious transportation, logistics, and drilling failures – collectively  – provide strong evidence of Shell’s inability to effectively undertake oil drilling in the harsh environment of the Arctic Ocean, and raise questions about any company’s capacity to do so.”

She added: “It’s time for Shell to re-evaluate whether it makes sense to continue pouring money into this complex and difficult drilling effort.”

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Offshore Energy Today Staff, February 12, 2013