An expedited, high level assessment of the 2012 off-shore oil drilling in Alaska Beaufort and Chukchi Seas was announced by the Department of Interior yesterday. This investigation is in addition to the Coast Guard investigation and the the other that was called for by Senator Begich yesterday.

The review, announced by Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, which is expected to take less than 60 days, will focus on the challenges that Shell encountered in connection with certification of its containment vessel, the Arctic Challenger; the deployment of its containment dome; and operational issues associated with its two drilling rigs, the Noble Discoverer and the Kulluk.

“Developing America’s domestic energy sources is essential for reducing our dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs here at home and the Administration is fully committed to exploring for potential energy resources in frontier areas such as the Arctic,” said Salazar. “Exploration allows us to better comprehend the true scope of our resources in the Arctic and to more fully understand the nature of the risks and benefits of development in this region, but we also recognize that the unique challenges posed by the Arctic environment demand an even higher level of scrutiny.”

The review of Shell’s Arctic activities will be led by Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy Beaudreau, who has been selected to serve as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. The review will look at Shell’s safety management systems, its oversight of contracted services, and its ability to meet the strict standards in place for Arctic development.

“As part of our Department’s oversight responsibilities, our review will look at Shell’s management and operations in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas,” said Beaudreau. “We will assess Shell’s performance in the Arctic’s challenging environment.”

“The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement demands operators make safety at all levels at all times their number one priority, and we expect the highest level of performance from operators in the Arctic,” said BSEE Director James A. Watson. “As we oversee historic domestic drilling, BSEE will continue its unprecedented oversight of drilling activities in the Arctic and we will continue to hold anyone operating in public waters to the highest safety and environmental standards.”

Shell has been plagued from start to finish as it attempted to initiate its plans to begin drilling in Alaska’s oil rich off-shore regions in its arctic waters. Shell’s latest mishap occurred at the end of December when its oil drilling rig, the Kulluk went aground outside Ocean Bay on Sitkilidak Island prompting a massive salvage effort by the company. That rig is now safely anchored in Kiliuda Bay on the Southern side of Kodiak Island.