“Shell will now cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future. This decision reflects both the Burger J well result, the high costs associated with the project, and the challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska,” the company's press service said.
The company’s high-ranking officials, as quoted in the press statement, said that Shell considered offshore Alaska to be a territory of strategic importance for the United States, however, the field explored by the corporation had shown disappointing results.
In May, the United States approved a drilling lease for the oil giant to drill in the Chukchi Sea.
The US authorities were criticized by watchdogs for approving the drilling amid concerns that Shell projects in the Arctic pose threats to the environment because of the technical difficulties associated with extracting oil and gas from offshore fields in the region.
