Shell Plans to Divest Oil Drilling Rights off North Alaska Coast

Shell Oil is planning to divest -- not drill -- an oil prospect in shallow state waters off Alaska’s northern coast, despite a recent filing with regulators, spokesman Curtis Smith said.

• Shell Offshore Inc. had asked state regulators to combine 18 shallow-water leases and create the West Harrison Bay Unit “in order to pursue a commercial agreement with an alternative operator,” Smith said by email
  • “Shell has no intention to operate these leases, which were originally purchased in 2012 and are due to expire in 2022”
  • “If the state of Alaska approves the application, we will transition to an alternative ...