The Obama administration has granted permission for the oil giant Shell to begin drilling exploratory wells in the Arctic Ocean next year. New permits had been frozen following the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico more than a year ago. But on Thursday, the White House continued with a resumption of new leases by allowing Shell to drill in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea. Alaskan Native and environmental groups are vowing legal challenges, saying the drilling could chase away sea life and contaminate the ocean. In a statement, the Center for Biological Diversity said, “From the perspective of ocean drilling and climate, it’s hard to see a difference between this administration and the last one.” The group Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands, or REDOIL, said, “Our ecosystem and culture should not be put in jeopardy for the profit of a foreign oil giant.”