U.S. will review Arctic drill rigs

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A day after Royal Dutch Shell PLC towed a damaged floating drill rig to shelter from a remote Alaska island, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the department will perform an “expedited, high-level assessment” of the 2012 Arctic offshore drilling season.

The administration is committed to exploring potential energy resources in frontier areas such as the Arctic, Salazar said in his announcement.

“But we also recognize that the unique challenges posed by the Arctic environment demand an even higher level of scrutiny,” he said.

Salazar announced the 60-day review shortly after the Coast Guard commander overseeing the Alaska district said he had ordered a formal marine casualty investigation of the Kulluk, which ran aground New Year’s Eve.