Anchorage, Alaska - drilling lease sales in the Arctic Ocean waters will use the Interior Department "caution" in the future, said Secretary Ken Salazar Wednesday, how one announced updated national offshore oil and gas directive.
Interior officials said also Shell Oil's plan at least an explorative of next year in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska remains north shore to drill in the year under review and are not by shell application for a decision to the rushed this month.
"We will come with caution in the border regions," said Salazar.
Salazar, said on Wednesday that Obama manage their offshore lease sales plans announced in March, three weeks before the blowout of a BP Plc well in the Gulf of Mexico, will revise and, that you will not monitor, offshore drilling from the East coast of the United States and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
At stake for Alaska future are lease sales in the Beaufort Sea off North Bank of the State and the Chukchi Sea off the Northwest Coast, for the five-year period from 2012 to 2017. Drilling on current leases is also affected.
Environmental groups and some Alaska Native groups strongly oppose drilling and say they threaten the fragile Arctic marine environment, home to endangered whales, polar bears, walrus and seals in addition to Eskimo communities that harvest subsistence expenses depend on.
Salazar said their plans for future Arctic offshore sales, but the Bureau of ocean energy, management, to decide public meetings in Alaska, certificate for an environmental assessment regulation and enforcement, keeping intact the Department whether Alaska lease sales in 2012-2017 program plan to collect keep and if so, where. The public meetings will cover Cook Inlet.
Decisions are affected U.S. survey geological also by an ongoing studies and comment by the National Oceanographic and atmospheric monitor administration, some marine mammals that inhabit the Arctic areas.
As for the next year is the only application Shell Oil's request at least one to drill well in the Beaufort Sea. The company has said it required a decision up to the this month to move forward with plans that a drill ship with mobile drilling and a small fleet of support vessels North during the summer open water season.
, If the drilling application review this month will be completed, Salazar, Michael Bromwich, head of the Bureau of ocean energy, management, regulation and enforcement delayed prayers.
"We don't go through artificial deadlines be limited," said Bromwich.
Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith, said the company is proud of completing his thorough Agency to quickly check.
"Today's announcement was a" positive "for Alaska, recognising that responsible oil and gas exploration in the Arctic can take place,", said Smith. He said any additional review "should be limited."
The Alaska announcement drew one sting response from other drilling proponents, including Jack Gerard, President of the American Petroleum Institute.
"Again, unfortunately, it is a proposal in accordance with their broader approach developing job creation America's oil and natural gas resources delay," he said.
Environmental groups had mixed reactions.
Marilyn Heiman, U.S. Arctic Program Director for the Pew Environment Group, said the removal of the East Coast and Eastern Gulf is under pressure to drill on Arctic waters, where little is known about how a well reflected blowout wildlife.
"The Arctic is an extreme, remotely and fragile place," she said. "The next station of the coast guard is more than 1,000 miles away." It is not uncommon that hurricane force winds, seas to 20 feet and broken ice. "It is not a best practice to clean up oil in broken ice conditions."
Oceana said Attorney Mike LeVine Gulf blowout made it clear that it is prepared for Arctic drilling.
"Communities, scientists and dishes we have repeatedly told that we basic science lack and a spill are unprepared", he said. "We should move forward until we can ensure security, accountability and the ocean environment."
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