RDC supports Shell’s revised Exploration Plan

The revised Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan (EP) submitted by Shell fully addresses all of the major activities associated with offshore exploration in the Chukchi Sea and should be approved in an expeditious manner so drilling can begin this summer, RDC said in correspondence to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. RDC is confident Shell can and will properly execute on its EP and will explore its leases in a responsible manner. Approximately 440 exploration wells have been drilled in Arctic waters, including 35 in the Alaskan OCS. Shell pioneered the first oil and gas development in Cook Inlet where in 1964 it was the first operator to install a platform and produce hydrocarbons. Since 1987, Shell has successfully drilled 11 wells in the Alaska Arctic OCS, not including the two top holes drilled in the Chukchi Sea nearly three years ago. Shell’s planned drilling

Shell pioneered the first oil and gas development in Cook Inlet in the 1960s.

activities in the Chukchi Sea will occur in shallow water, similar to Cook Inlet and near-shore Gulf of Mexico. Shell has invested more than $6 billion in its Arctic leases and subsequent efforts in preparing to responsibly explore its prospects in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

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