article_snippet.sent: Shell and several other oil companies bought exploration leases for the Chukchi Sea, which lies between northern Alaska and Russia in 2008.
article_snippet.sent: The U.S. government's decision "means that in 100 days, Shell could begin drilling in the Alaskan Arctic," Greenpeace said.
article_snippet.sent: Federal agencies still have to review and approve companies' plans before exploratory drilling can start.
article_snippet.sent: Shell's work in the Alaskan Arctic has suffered some setbacks in the past, including a drilling barge that ran aground off southern Alaska on December 31, 2012.