A Little Perspective For The Day

I have to chuckle at the rumors and stories I hear about the challenges and expenses involved in drilling in North Dakota.

I used to respond by saying: "compared to what, Iraq?"

Then this today at Rigzone.com:

A drilling ship leased by Royal Dutch Shell Plc to begin exploring for offshore oil in the Arctic this summer drifted off its moorings this weekend while anchored off the Alaskan coast and narrowly missed the shore.

Shell said a remotely operated vehicle sent to inspect the drilling ship found no sign of damage or evidence it ran aground, but the incident adds to the challenge of launching on time the company's controversial plan to drill in Alaska--one of the most expensive exploration bets it's ever undertaken.

Shell's efforts are being closely watched by authorities and faces stiff opposition from environmentalists; the U.S. Coast Guard has yet to approve an oil response vessel that's critical to the effort, even as the clock ticks on the short summer window the company has to start drilling in the Arctic's harsh environment.

I remember the uproar over six ducks that died in a waste pit a year or so ago in North Dakota.