Shell could abandon Arctic after this season

Could there be drilling off the North Slope in the not too far future?
Here from Arctic News today: https://www.arcticnow.com/business/energy/2017/07/10/alaska-native-corporation-makes-move-toward-exploring-for-oil-in-us-arctic-ocean-where-shell-failed/

Let’s hope so. ASRC was one of Shell’s largest contractors. They’ve also been providing land based oil field services on the North Slope for a long time. They would be a lot more efficient than Shell was. She’ll spent money like a drunken sailor to no effect.

Camden Bay is shallow, so I assume that they would build artificial islands and drill with land rigs.

Not sure whether this native corporation has the money to pull this off. Especially in a time where the oil industry is not doing too well.

If they’d aim for the same prospects as Shell explored some years ago they’ll be in need of a rig, i think.

Take a look at Camden Bay. It’s near Prudhoe.

I believe that ASRC is a Fortune 500 company. ( I have not checked.). In any event, it’s a big professionally run company with vast natural resources and borrowing capacity.

From my work with Shell and their Arctic drilling plans at the time, ASRC’s involvement was oil spill response. This is not to say they didn’t or couldn’t do other things.

1 Like

Greenpeace is busy in the Barents Sea again: https://www.arcticnow.com/arctic-news/2017/07/21/greenpeace-activists-protest-near-oil-rig-in-norways-arctic-waters/
Same vessel as was arrested by the Russians a couple of years ago for doing the same.

The Russians are not too impressed with the ruling by the ICC that their seiziour of the vessel was illegal though: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/07/20/world/europe/ap-eu-russia-netherlands-greenpeace.html

The top secret well drilled in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska MAY hold the key to a huge oil field: https://www.arcticnow.com/business/energy/2017/07/24/mystery-surrounds-the-only-oil-well-ever-drilled-in-alaskas-arctic-refuge/
Will it it be opened up for E&P by this Administration??

again the question is: who would have the money (and investors backing) to go up and kickstart it all?

There are challenges in the Arctic that is cropping up due to the warmer climate.
This time for onshore operations: https://www.arcticnow.com/business/energy/2017/07/26/experts-warn-gas-pipes-are-in-real-danger-from-exploding-tundra/

The crown jewel of potential fields in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea will start drilling soon: https://www.reuters.com/article/statoil-drilling-idUSL5N1KT1AC
It may be the make or break for future development in the far north and east of the Barents Sea.

Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise has been arrested again and is under escort to Tromso: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2017/08/norwegian-coast-guard-tows-arctic-sunrise-tromso

“Unlawfully boarded” they call it. Curious how high the fine will be for messing around a rig.

They got away with it easily: €2,700 to €3,200 per activist. Very kind of the Norwegian authorities!

2 Likes

Russia are still busy in the Arctic, both militarily and with oil exploration: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2017/08/amid-fears-local-environment-unesco-makes-first-ever-mission-russias-remote-arctic

bad news for the ‘believers’ and those who hoped for the ‘elephant’: http://www.oedigital.com/component/k2/item/16087-barents-sea-korpfjell-disappoints

At least for now. They’re planning to go back next year.

Oh well, disappointment after all the hype, but it took >20 well before they found the first commercial field in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea

With the better seismic and with whatever they may learn from this first well, they should be closer to find out whether there are any oil or gas in this new area or not. Better luck next year.

PS> Some are still hopeful: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2017/08/amid-statoils-failed-well-local-leaders-believe-steadfast-arctic-oil

Another article about the disappointment at Korpfjell, but a guarantee that Statoil is going back next year: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/industry-and-energy/2017/08/after-disappointments-statoil-says-we-will-come-back

1 Like

It is human to fail, but not to notice a typo of NOK 100 Bn.??: https://www.tu.no/artikler/oljemyndighetenes-excel-feil-ble-ikke-oppdaget-stortinget-apnet-barentshavet-sorost-med-regnefeil-pa-over-100-milliarder/405367

what are the chances anybody will ever drill the arctic if you take a 10+ year view when the rate of adoption of electric cars starts to accelerate?

Need to find out where all those rare minerals are to build all these battery’s?

The rear minerals are to be found in abundance on the seabed in deep waters around the world: National Geographic