Shell Oil will file permits this week to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean, The New York Times reports.

Shell wants to drill up to 10 exploratory wells. The area could hold enough oil to fuel 25 million cars for 35 years, the paper said.

As part of the effort, executives met with Alaska Natives last week in the village of Savoonga. Residents raised concerns about the impact of development on whales, walrus and other subsistence foods.

Shell promises to take precautions to protect wildlife. And the Interior Department says it will consider Alaska Native views in reviewing the proposal.

“We need to continue to take a cautious approach in the Arctic that is guided by science and the voices of North Slope communities,” a DOI spokesperson told the paper.

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Shell Tries to Calm Fears on Drilling in Alaska (The New York Times 5/2)