BP wins approval to drill deepwater UK well

摘要

London—The UK government has given BPthe go-ahead to drill a controversial deepwaterexploration well off the Shetland Islands thathad been delayed by safety concerns in thewake of BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.BP’s North Uist exploration well will testa large oil prospect 125 km northwest ofthe Shetland Islands in Atlantic waters some1,300 meters deep.Originally scheduled to drill in late 2010,the well will be the oil major’s first deepwaterwell in the UK after its US spill sparked abarrage of protests from green groups overthe potential spill hazards in the remote fron-tier region.