HOUSTON | Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:38pm EST
(Reuters) – The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday conditionally approved Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc’s revised plan to drill six oil exploration wells in the Chukchi Sea offshore of Alaska next year, the agency said in a news release.
The conditional approval does not authorize drilling to start. Shell Gulf of Mexico, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell, must obtain separate drilling permits for each well.
BOEM’s approval also requires the company to undertake a range of safety and environmental protection measures prior to starting work, including winning approval of its well capping and containment system and its oil spill response plan.