Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced an "expedited" review of offshore drilling operations in the Arctic Ocean, following safety incidents in recent months.

Shell Oil has been involved in three mishaps. Late last month, the Kulluk drilling rig ran aground during a storm and experienced problems last year with another drilling ship and a containment vessel that is meant to assist during oil spills.

“Developing America’s domestic energy sources is essential for reducing our dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home and the Administration is fully committed to exploring for potential energy resources in frontier areas such as the Arctic,” Salazar said in a press release that announced the 60-day review.

Alaska Natives have been battling Shell over its Arctic operations

Get the Story:
U.S. orders Arctic drilling assessment after rig mishap (The Washington Post 1/9)
Interior Dept. Expedites Review of Arctic Drilling After Accidents (The New York Times 1/9)
Salazar announces Arctic offshore drilling review; Coast Guard investigates Shell grounding (AP 1/8)
Kulluk grounding leads to investigations of Shell's Arctic oil exploration (The Anchorage Daily News 1/8)

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Shell stops off-shore drilling in Alaska due to safety issues (9/18)