The Mayor of Seattle doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle.
The Seattle City Council doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle.
The Port of Seattle doesn't want Shell's Polar Pioneer to dock in Seattle until a further legal review of its lease of the terminal that is only permitted for cargo operations.
But Royal Dutch Shell and its local contractor Foss Maritime aren't about to change their plans due to the opposition of a mere major city.
Just before 2:30 AM the massive Polar Pioneer accompanied by four large Foss tugs left the harbor of Port Angeles.
My photo as the Polar Pioneer in Admiralty Inlet the entry to Puget Sound at 9:00 AM.
A flotilla of protesters in kayaks calling themselves Kayaktivists plan to meet the Arctic Pioneer when it enters Seattle's Elliott Bay.
Kayakers prepare to meet Shell’s oil drill rig in Seattle
By Phuong Le
SEATTLE — Protesters opposed to Arctic oil drilling are preparing to paddle out in kayaks to meet Shell’s massive offshore drilling rig as it arrives any day now in Seattle, raising the stakes in the battle over oil exploration in the remote Arctic Ocean.
The petroleum giant says it is moving ahead with plans to use leased space at the Port of Seattle to load its drilling rigs and other vessels with supplies and personnel as it prepares to explore for oil this summer in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northwest coast.
That’s despite the city saying the Port of Seattle needs a new permit before it can host Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet and the city warning that the port and Foss Maritime, a local company that’s working with Shell, could potentially face fines for unpermitted activity.
The Dutch drilling Armada coming to the Salish Sea is a large one.
Shell oil rig arriving Thursday is just the start of Arctic drilling fleet
By Coral Garnick and Hal Bernton
The company will have 25 vessels in and out of the Pacific Northwest in preparation for the season, according to spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh, but Shell has been tight-lipped about detailing its plans.
The arrogance of Royal Dutch Shell is breathtaking. Nevermind what the city government and the port want, Shell is determined to get its way with Seattle the same way they did with the Obama Administration in gaining its approval for its very risky and potentially lucrative exploration in the Arctic.
Also see: Seattle Mayor Ed Murray delays Shell's plan to use port as base for Arctic Drilling
UPDATE:
Shell's Polar Pioneer and its four tugs and three Coast Guard vessels escorting it has come to a stop south of the town of Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. I don't know the reason for this delay.
UPDATE 2:
Shell's Polar Pioneer, its four tugs and three Coast Guard vessels escorting it have resumed their course for Seattle and increased their speed to 6.9 knots.
UPDATE 3:
Shell's Polar Pioneer, its four tugs and two Coast Guard vessels escorting it are in Elliot Bay now traveling at 7.1 knots.
UPDATE 3:
Going by its GPS Polar Pioneer now 220 meters from its birth at this point at 4:20 PM.