Shell CEO: World "desperately needs" Alaska oil

Alaska has large potential oil reserves that the world is going to demand in the future, Shell CEO Dick Benschop told AD. Oil in the region is increasingly difficult to recover, however, the company's technological potential fits the challenge.

There is an increasing need in the new sources of oil, said Benschop explaining the company's decision to come to the state. "Annually, 4 percent of world supplies are consumed. We should therefore continue to invest in new supplies," he said. "Alaska plays an important role in this."

The CEO said the company was taking "unprecedented precautions" to prevent possible damage to the Alaskan environment. " We are prepared for everything," Benschop commented. "Moreover, we are under very strict and tight control from the US government." He also mentioned that the company conducted consultations with local communities and invested a lot of time and effort into the research of the local ecosystem.

The risk of an accident is very small, the CEO assured. "Should something go wrong, the spills can be cleaned up immediately."

In spite of intended transformation to a gas company, oil remains important for Shell, according to the CEO. "The demand for energy in the world continues to grow," he said. " And it order to meet that demand, oil will be required."