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Shell To Stop Drilling In Arctic Waters 'For The Foreseeable Future'

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The Shell logo is pictured outside a Shell petrol station in central London on January 17, 2014. (Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)
The Shell logo is pictured outside a Shell petrol station in central London on January 17, 2014. (Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)

After years of work and more than $7 billion in investment, Shell says that it will stop exploring Arctic waters for oil and gas. Shell says it will seal and abandon its well in Alaska's Chukchi Sea after "a clearly disappointing exploration outcome."

In a statement, the company said its decision "reflects both the Burger J well result, the high costs associated with the project, and the challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska."

Here & Now's Robin Young talks with NPR's Jackie Northam about the company's decision and what it might signal for the future of offshore drilling in the Arctic.

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This segment aired on September 28, 2015.

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