(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) — Royal Dutch Shell's exploratory drilling off Alaska's North Slope has been delayed by ice conditions and the delayed delivery of an oil-spill response barge, Reuters news service reported. The company's 22 vessels will not start work in July but instead need to wait until August because too much ice has accumulated in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The Coast Guard still hasn't approved the spill barge, which has deficiencies in fire-fighting equipment, electronics and welds.
Click here to view the Reuters story.
