The only reason Shell and the others can even think about drilling up there is of course because the sea ice has melted. As we know the ice has melted because we are burning too much oil.
21st June is Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year and traditionally a day of festivals and celebration. In the high North, past the Arctic Circle, it's the first first day of the 'midnight sun' period in which the sun does not set for the rest of the summer, somewhat of a contrast to the winter months when the sun never rises.