Reassurance needed that Arctic drilling is safe
Persuading the world that drilling in the Arctic can be done safely may be as difficult as the operating environment
The risk of an oil spill in the Arctic may be no greater than in many other parts of the world where drilling takes place. But the consequences would be grave. The industry faces a tough task to persuade legislators, local communities and the wider public that they have adequate accident prevention and response measures to prevent a catastrophe in a fragile and largely unspoilt ecosystem. Environmental organisations provide chapter and verse on the myriad dangers of Arctic drilling. Greenpeace says icebergs provide a constant menace to rigs; oil takes longer to disperse in cold water; containing or cleaning up oil trapped underneath large bodies of ice is near impossible; moving ices floes c

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