It would hand state legislatures drilling authority and half of any federal royalties or revenues from drilling.

FORBES: Gasp

The expedition's other research tasks include drilling through the ice by hand, on average four times a day.

BBC: Arctic team: 'London, we have a problem'

The loss of the hi-tech equipment has focused attention on the data gathered by the tried-and-tested method of drilling through the ice by hand.

BBC: Arctic team gives up on ice radar