ANCHORAGE, ALASKA - An oil drilling rig owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc ran aground in Alaska after drifting in stormy weather, highlighting the serious risks of working in an offshore region where some in the industry see huge potential.
While the U.S. Coast Guard was concerned about a potential spill from the drillship, named the Kulluk, its hull appeared sound after a few overflights on Tuesday, officials said.
Coast Guard Captain Paul Mehler said the Kulluk had 143,000 gallons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel and 12,000 gallons of other oil products on board.
The grounding of the drillship, weighing nearly 28,000 gross tons and operated by Noble Corp, is a blow to Shell’s $4.5 billion offshore program in Alaska.
more
Drifting Shell drilling rig grounds on rocks off Alaska | World | News | Toronto Sun
While the U.S. Coast Guard was concerned about a potential spill from the drillship, named the Kulluk, its hull appeared sound after a few overflights on Tuesday, officials said.
Coast Guard Captain Paul Mehler said the Kulluk had 143,000 gallons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel and 12,000 gallons of other oil products on board.
The grounding of the drillship, weighing nearly 28,000 gross tons and operated by Noble Corp, is a blow to Shell’s $4.5 billion offshore program in Alaska.
more
Drifting Shell drilling rig grounds on rocks off Alaska | World | News | Toronto Sun
