A Shell rig which ran aground in Alaska has been refloated by a team of recovery experts. The Kulluk rig broke away from tow boats in high seas last week, drawing criticism from environmental groups which said it proved oil companies were not prepared to manage the extreme conditions of the Arctic safely.
The Noble Drilling-owned rig had been working in the Beaufort Sea on Shell’s controversial and troubled Arctic offshore exploration programme and was being towed to Seattle for overhaul and lay-up in “near-hurricane” conditions when the incident happened.
Having been refloated, the Kulluk was last night towed from its grounding site on the coast of Sitkalidak Island to a sheltered bay nearby so experts can assess its seaworthiness.