A large drill ship belonging to oil major Shell ran aground off Alaska on Monday night after drifting in stormy weather, Reuters quoted company and government officials as saying. The ship, the Kulluk, broke away from one of its tow lines on Monday afternoon and was driven to rocks just off Kodiak Island, where it grounded at about 9 p.m. Alaska time, officials said. The 18-member crew had been evacuated by the Coast Guard late Saturday because of risks from the storm. With winds reported at up to 60 miles an hour and Gulf of Alaska seas of up to 35 feet, responders were unable to keep the ship from grounding, said Coast Guard Commander Shane Montoya, the leader of the incident command team. -- SPA
