Shell, which has proven unable to handle even the calmer waters in Southeast Alaska, is on the verge of approval to drill in the Chukchi sea, which regularly sees 50-foot waves, is more than 1000 miles from the nearest oil-cleanup base, and is one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/live-news/2015/5/shell-gets-conditional-approval-for-arctic-drilling-plan.html