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Risk in the Arctic Ocean
Exploring for oil in the Arctic Ocean is risky business. Explore the map below to learn more.
Scroll to ExploreBeaufort Sea 01
Shell first started trying to drill in the Beaufort in 2007 and finally was able to operate in 2012. Despite years of preparation, Shell could not get its response equipment ready and, therefore, was not allowed to drill down to oil-bearing layers. As sea ice began to build up at the end of the 2012 season, Shell had trouble getting the Kulluk and its crew out of the Beaufort Sea for the trip back to Seattle.
Studies show that conditions in the Beaufort Sea would likely prevent the most common spill response technologies 77% of the time.
The Kulluk ran aground near Kodiak Island.
The Kulluk eventually made it out of the Arctic, and it ran aground near Kodiak Island after getting caught in a winter storm as it was being towed back to Seattle. The grounding was attributed to lack of oversight and poor planning by Shell’s contractors.
Chukchi Sea 02
A massive ice floe forced Shell to disconnect the Noble Discoverer after just a day of drilling
Shell operated in the Chukchi Sea in 2012 and 2015 using the drillship Discoverer. In 2012, a massive ice floe forced Shell to disconnect the Noble Discoverer after just a day of drilling. Shell was not allowed to finish its well in 2012 and didn’t strike oil when it tried again in 2015. After the 2015 failure Shell abandoned its Arctic drilling program after spending more than a decade and $7 billion.
If oil and gas development goes forward in the Chukchi Sea, there’s a 75% chance of a large oil spill over the lifetime of the development.
Much of the Chukchi Sea is extremely remote. There isn’t infrastructure nearby to support oil production or clean-up efforts in the event of an oil spill.
Unalaska
/Dutch Harbor
03
Just 1.5 percent of U.S. Arctic waters have been charted to modern standards
Dutch Harbor is more than 1,000 miles away from Arctic drill sites, but it’s the closest port that can handle deep-draft vessels. In 2015, Shell’s support vessel Fennica struck an uncharted shoal and tore open its hull, forcing it to retreat for repairs. This sort of accident may be more likely in the Arctic because just 1.5 percent of U.S. Arctic waters have been charted to modern standards.
98.5 % of U.S. Arctic waters are not charted to modern standards.
In 2012, Shell’s drillship Noble Discoverer dragged anchor and nearly ran aground outside of Dutch Harbor. Fortunately, no damage resulted from that close call.
Kodiak 04
As it was being towed south from the Arctic, Shell’s Kulluk drill ship snapped its tow line during a winter storm. The Kulluk ran aground on Sitkalidak Island on Dec. 31. Fortunately, the U.S. Coast Guard maintains a large base nearby on Kodiak Island and was able to respond quickly. The base on Kodiak is the closest permanent Coast Guard facility to Arctic drill sites, roughly 950 air miles away.
The Kodiak Coast Guard Base is roughly 950 miles from Arctic drilling sites. That’s almost 5x the distance from New York City to Washington, DC
© Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg/U.S. Coast Guard
Shell also had substantial problems with the drillship Noble Discoverer, including with the ship’s main engine. At the end of 2012, the Coast Guard detained the ship for safety and environmental deficiencies.
Washington 05
Shell’s oil spill response barge failed Coast Guard inspections and its oil spill containment dome was crushed during testing
Shell used waters off Washington State as a base during its Arctic drilling efforts. Even here, things did not go smoothly. In 2012, Shell’s oil spill response barge failed Coast Guard inspections and its oil spill containment dome was crushed during testing in Puget Sound. Because Shell failed to meet oil spill response requirements in 2012, it was not allowed to drill into oil-bearing layers.
In 2015, Shell’s Arctic drilling efforts generated widespread protest, including from “kayactivists” and Seattle city officials.
Weather
The U.S. Arctic Ocean is a very challenging operating environment, characterized by seasonal sea ice and frequently affected by powerful storms, extreme cold and fog.
Communities
Coastal communities in the Arctic rely on the ocean as a source of healthy food, livelihood and culture for local residents.
Arctic Wildlife
Arctic waters are home to superbly adapted wildlife including ice-dependent seals, walruses, polar bears and bowhead whales. Millions of birds migrate to the Arctic each summer.
A Timeline of Events
Offshore Oil and Gas Operations in Federal Waters
in the U.S. Arctic, 2005–2015
2005
- Shell buys offshore leases in Beaufort Sea Lease Sale 195.
- Shell buys Beaufort Sea leases from another company that had purchased them previously.
2007
- Shell buys offshore leases in Beaufort Sea Lease Sale 202.
- Shell wins approval for a three-year plan to drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea from 2007 to 2009.
- Alaska Native and conservation groups challenge government approval of Shell’s drilling plan; a federal court issues an order stopping the planned operations.
- EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board rules that Shell’s air emissions permit is inadequate and must be rewritten.
2008
- Shell buys offshore leases in Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193.
- Court issues final opinion overturning approval of Shell’s Beaufort Sea drilling plan.
- Shell announces it won’t drill attempt to drill in 2009.
2009
- Government approves a new Shell Beaufort Sea drilling program for 2010.
- Shell submits an exploration drilling plan for the Chukchi Sea for 2010.
2010
- Deepwater Horizon blowout causes an explosion that kills eleven offshore workers and leads to a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
- After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the government announces a pause in approving permits for drilling programs like the ones Shell proposes.
- Court rules that the environmental analysis for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale was inadequate and orders additional analysis.
2011
- EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board rules that Shell’s air emissions permit is inadequate and must be rewritten.
- Shell submits and wins government approval of new drilling plan for the Chukchi Sea.
2012
- Shell attempts to drill for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas and is plagued by problems.
- Shell’s Noble Discoverer drillship nearly grounds outside Dutch Harbor.
- Shell’s Arctic Challenger oil spill response barge fails Coast Guard inspections.
- Shell’s custom fabricated oil spill response dome is crushed “like a beer can” in Puget Sound testing.
- Massive ice floe in the Chukchi Sea forces Shell to disconnect the Noble Discoverer drillship after just one day of drilling.
- Cold and windy weather delays the Kulluk’s departure from the Beaufort Sea after the drilling season.
- Noble Discoverer drillship has propulsion problems and suffers an engine fire on its way south after the drilling season.
- Coast Guard detains Shell’s Noble Discoverer drillship due to safety and environmental violations.
- Shell’s Kulluk drill rig grounds on Sitkalidak Island.
2013
- EPA fines Shell more than $1 million for air quality violations during the 2012 drilling season.
2014
- Court rules that the supplemental environmental analysis of Chukchi Lease Sale 193 is still inadequate.
- Shell cancels the 2014 drilling season.
- Court orders Shell contractor Noble Drilling to pay more than $12 million to settle criminal charges for environmental and safety violations during 2012 drilling season.
- Shell seeks to have its leases extended on the grounds that difficulties with the drilling operations and permitting warrant more time.
2015
- Shell launches an effort to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea.
- Shell’s Chukchi exploration plan generates widespread public protests, including from “kayactivists” in Seattle.
- Shell’s support vessel Fennica runs aground near Dutch Harbor and must retreat south for repairs.
- Shell’s plan to drill two wells in the Chukchi Sea is cut in half because the plan did not comport with Marine Mammal Protection Act rules.
- After completing a well in the Chukchi Sea but not finding oil, Shell announces it is ending its Arctic drilling operations.
- The government denies Shell’s request to have its Beaufort and Chukchi Sea leases extended.
- Shell relinquishes almost all of its offshore leases in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.