Shell Oil stopped off-shore drilling work in Alaska due to safety concerns.

Shell said a barge containing oil spill equipment suffered damage during some tests, putting off any drilling until 2013. The company was already planning to suspend some work during the Alaska Native whale hunting season.

"The time required to repair the dome, along with steps we have taken to protect local whaling operations and to ensure the safety of operations from ice floe movement, have led us to revise our plans for the 2012-2013 exploration program," Shell said in a press release.

The Interior Department requires Shell to have an oil spill system.

Get the Story:
Shell abandons Arctic oil drilling for the year (The Anchorage Daily News 9/18)
Shell thwarted in plans to drill for Arctic oil this year (The Washington Post 9/18)
Shell Delays Arctic Oil Drilling Until 2013 (The New York Times 9/18)
Containment system problems off Wash. state behind delays in Shell’s offshore Arctic drilling (AP 9/18)
Shell's Arctic offshore drilling project suffers setback (AP 9/17)

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