"WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is giving Shell permission to fully drill an exploratory well in the Arctic Ocean and burrow into potential oil-bearing rock thousands of feet below the seafloor that previously was off limits.

The newly modified drilling permit, issued Monday by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, gives Shell a chance to complete its Burger J well before a Sept. 28 deadline to finish the work.

Shell has already been drilling the well for more than two weeks. But BSEE had ordered the company to halt after completing the top 3,000 feet, because critical emergency equipment — and the icebreaker used to deploy it — were not nearby to safeguard the work."

Jennifer A. Dlouhy reports for the Houston Chronicle August 17, 2015. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Approval of Arctic Drilling Comes Just Before Obama's Visit" (AP) [3]

"U.S. Gives Shell Final Nod To Drill for Oil in Arctic" (Reuters) [4]

"Arctic Drilling Approval Threatens Obama's Climate Legacy" (InsideClimate News) [5]