The president of Shell Oil Co. said that the exploratory dealing off the northwest coast of Alaska is going well despite stormy weather last week that caused the company to halt operations for a few days. Marvin Odum said he expects further protests against the company’s plans for the Arctic drilling. It is important to point towards the fact that it was activists in kayaks which tried to block Shell vessels in Seattle and Portland. It is imperative to state that Arctic drilling is bitterly opposed by environment groups that believe a spill cannot be cleaned in ice-choked waters and industrial activity would hurt polar bears who are already harmed by diminished sea ice.
The CEO said that his is 110 percent ready to work with people who want to find ways to improve drilling. He did add that he has an issue with activists that oppose or use illegal means and put the safety of themselves or the safety of anybody associated with operations at risks. President Barack Obama was in Alaska, rallying support for measures to combat climate change such as limits on carbon emissions. Environmental groups are divided, most of them praise the president for curbing greenhouse gases, while there are others who believe that the President bowed to pressures of the industry when he gave permission to Shell to drill in the Chukchi Sea for the first time in 24 years.
Odum said that oil would continue to be needed as the United States transitions to more renewable energy. The CEO said that his company in two years of exploratory drilling and with up to six wells hopes to confirm vast reservoir of oil which many believe would make the United States energy efficient and could lead to further drilling activities in the Alaskan region in the near term.