"Royal Dutch Shell PLC's announcement [Monday] that it is putting an indefinite pause on its Arctic exploration activities could play a major role in the Obama administration's decision whether to hold additional oil and gas lease sales in the region.

Shell today announced it was shelving its Arctic exploration campaign 'for the foreseeable future' after its first fully drilled well in the Chukchi Sea in decades turned up 'disappointing' results (EnergyWire, Sept. 28).

The company's decision offered a political boost to Democrats and conservation groups that are lobbying the administration to cancel the Arctic lease sales it scheduled for 2016 and 2017 in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, respectively, and to yank additional sales the administration included in its draft 2017-2022 leasing plan."

Phil Taylor reports for Greenwire September 28, 2015. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Exuberance and Disappointment at Shell’s About-Face in the Arctic" (New York Times) [3]