Arctic oil drilling arguments due in federal court

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Environmentalists who challenged plans to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean will have the Gulf of Mexico disaster to boost their arguments against offshore exploration to a federal appeals court in Oregon.

Shell Oil has already been granted permits to drill exploratory wells this summer in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska.

But a coalition of conservation groups went to court to challenge the plans, and arguments are set for Thursday morning before a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland.

The Obama administration says it will hold off on new drilling until the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been reviewed.