Comment on Shell begins drilling in the Arctic with its giant “Polar Pioneer” rig

Royal Dutch Shell, while cutting capital investment elsewhere in the world, has resumed its long-delayed drilling in Alaska’s Arctic waters, using a giant rig — the Transocean Polar Pioneer — that “kayakctivists” tried to block leaving Seattle’s Elliott Bay last month. The Polar Pioneer will not be able to drill into oil-bearing layers until arrival of the 328-foot icebreaker Fennica, which has been undergoing repairs and triggering “ShellNo” protests in Portland.  The icebreaker contains key equipment designed to cap a spill in the ice-choked, wildlife-rich waters of the Chukchi Sea.