Shell's Alaska Christmas Present from O-BOEMRE?

William Reilly, co-chair of Obama's Oil Spew Commission, had harsh words this week for BP, Transocean and Halliburton.  WaPo reported:

The co-chairman of a separate presidential commission on the Gulf oil spill said Wednesday during a speech to oil industry lawyers in New Orleans that there is widespread belief that "breathtakingly inept" mistakes by BP, Halliburton and Transocean led to the disaster. William Reilly also said the industry must do a much better job of regulating itself. 

As I read this, my gut said "diversion."  What is Reilly trying to steer attention away from?  Reilly is on temporary leave of absence from the ConocoPhillips board, a joint venture partner with BP in the Gulf of Mexico's Tiber field.  Reilly's ample stock holdings remain a conflict of interest.

On April 1, 2010, nearly three weeks before the Deepwater Horizon exploded in a 50 story fireball, the headline read:

Obama’s Offshore Drilling Plan: Conoco, Shell Look North to Alaska and Smile

On December 10, the administration announced the next step in Shell's plan to punch a hole in the Arctic.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement’s (BOEMRE) Alaska Region has announced that it will accept public comments through Dec. 23, 2010, on the following materials related to Shell Offshore Inc.’s oil and gas activities in the Beaufort Sea:

Shell's position is as follows:

Shell had asked the agency to approve a drilling permit by the end of this month so it can push ahead with plans to drill during the Alaskan summer drilling window.

Upstream Online's related story has "Shell breaking the ice for Alaska exploration."  With Shell's project approved, ConocoPhillips can't be far behind. 

Meanwhile, BOEMRE advanced a project to detect oil under or in sea ice using ground penetrating radar.  The study webpage states:

There may be opportunities to test the new radar systems over actual research oil spills over the next three years 2010-2013.

Unless someone does something "breathtakingly inept," like appointing two conflicted members to an Oil Spew Commission, deciding the future of oil exploration.

President George Bush gifted ManorCare to The Carlyle Group for Christmas 2007.  Will President Obama offer Alaska's Northern Seas in the midst of holiday hustle and bustle?  Ho-ho-ho....