ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Federal officials say they plan to study the effects of a large oil spill and how it will affect the ocean off Alaska's northwest coast.
The study is part of a court-ordered environmental review for a 2008 offshore petroleum sale. The study will be conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
According to Curtis Smith, a spokesperson for Shell Oil, the decision could delay Shell's planned 2012 drilling in the Chukchi Sea.
"We're five years and 3.5 billion dollars into Alaska," Smith said. "Every day that we are delayed from drilling only delays the creation of thousands of jobs."
