US Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, said it is unclear if there is commercial interest in drilling in US Arctic waters, but said regulators should keep the option open for producers. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now “You don’t know until you have the opportunity to put the lease sales out there,” Murkowski told reporters at CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston Monday. “We need to set the table for participation.” Analysts and lobbyists claim there is limited interest in US offshore oil and gas production, outside the US Gulf of Mexico waters. Major oil companies are particularly hesitant to exploration the Arctic after Shell abandoned its Alaska offshore efforts in 2015, after seven years and $7 billion in costs. However, Murkowksi stressed that Shell’s experience was unique since its drilling operations were limited by federal regulations, which have since […]