Shell: Diver Inspection of Alaska Drillship Shows No Damage
07/17/2012| 01:27pm US/Eastern
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By Angel Gonzalez
HOUSTON--A team of divers inspecting a drillship leased by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) for its Arctic oil exploration program found no signs of damage after the ship drifted off its moorings last weekend, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Shell spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh said in an e-mail that the dive team completed the inspection. "No damage found," she said. The results confirmed the findings of a remotely operated vehicle sent earlier.
On Saturday, the drillship Noble Discoverer, owned by Noble Corp. (>> Noble Corporation), drifted toward land while anchored off Dutch Harbor, Alaska. A Shell support vessel quickly towed the drillship back to its original anchoring point, the company said.
The Noble Discoverer is one of two drillships Shell intends to use for its controversial Arctic drilling program off Alaska, one of the most expensive exploration bets it's undertaken. The company's effort is being closely watched by regulators and environmentalists. The company plans to start drilling this summer.
Shell is investigating the incident. It has said that its goal is to conduct "flawless operations" in Alaska. It said, "even a 'near miss' is unacceptable."
Write to Angel Gonzalez at angel.gonzalez@dowjones.com
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