"Shell abandons Alaska Arctic drilling", 28 Sep 2015

Shell has abandoned its controversial drilling operations in the Alaskan Arctic in the face of mounting opposition.  Its decision, which has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, follows disappointing results from an exploratory well drilled 80 miles off Alaska’s north-west coast. Shell said it had found oil and gas but not in sufficient quantities...Shell has also privately made clear it is taken aback by the public protests against the drilling which are threatening to seriously damage its reputation.  Ben van Beurden, the chief executive, is also said to be worried that the Arctic is undermining his attempts to influence the debate around climate change...His attempts to argue that a Shell strategy of building up gas as a “transitional” fuel to pave the way to a lower carbon future has met with scepticism, partly because of the Arctic operations...Reacting to the news, Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said: “The Save the Arctic movement has exacted a huge reputational price from Shell for its Arctic drilling programme. And as the company went another year without striking oil, that price finally became too high. They’re pulling out.