About Shell in Alaska

Extensive Arctic Experience

Shell has a long history in Alaska, dating back to 1918.  Beginning almost 50 years ago, we operated continuously in Alaska until 1998.  Shell was one of the most prominent explorers in all of the frontier basins of Alaska, as well as being an operator and major producer in Cook Inlet.  We are responsible for safely drilling many of the wells in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in the 1980s.

Shell has extensive arctic experience through operations in areas such as Canada, Russia and Norway.

When we enter an area to explore and ultimately set up operations, we do so with a clear oil and gas business objective, but we also have two other goals - to protect the environment and to create a positive presence in the community through activities such as workforce development.

We have already invested extensively to build, refit and refurbish equipment to modern, state-of-the-art standards and train personnel, many of which are local residents, to support offshore activities.

The ability to succeed in our exploration hinges on a close working relationship and involvement of key local, national and international stakeholders. We are committed to the state of Alaska and Alaskans, and hope to be here for the long term.

Commitment to Safety

Safety is our number one priority in all our Alaska operations and comes from building and insisting on a safe culture in all that we do. Shell encourages a "stop" culture in which any employee has the authority to stop a task that is not being conducted in a safe manner. Intense and frequent training for contractors and employees helps maintain this important atmosphere.

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We are committed to providing newsletters to stakeholders of the North Slope to help communicate our goals, projects and activities throughout the year.  Silalliq, meaning "neighbor" in the Inupiaq language is the name of our publication.