ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Environmental groups say a Shell drilling ship that slipped its anchor in Alaska's Dutch Harbor raises serious questions about the oil company's ability to operate safely in Arctic waters, particularly after the same vessel ran into a mooring problem in New Zealand waters.
The 571-foot Noble Discoverer lost its mooring Saturday, drifting extremely close to shore. Officials say a first inspection shows no signs of damage.
The ship is among a Shell fleet to head north for planned exploratory offshore drilling.
Pamela A. Miller with the Northern Alaska Environmental Center says the incident raises concerns following the incident off New Zealand last year, when lines in the ship's eight-anchor mooring system failed in a storm.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith says only one anchor broke its line and the others held.
