US officials have granted Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell conditional approval to begin drilling exploration wells in the Arctic Ocean from next year, in a move swiftly slammed by conservationists as “inexcusable.” The US Interior Department has opened the doors to Shell’s proposal for four shallow water exploration wells in Alaska?s…
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, under pressure over high gasoline prices, Saturday committed to annual oil and gas lease sales in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and to speeding up production in other areas. In his weekly radio and Internet address, the US leader admitted that one of the biggest burdens…