Salvage experts were flown to the stricken Kulluk drill vessel on Wednesday and Thursday that remains upright and stable not far from Kodiak Island, officials told at a news conference.
"There isn't any evidence of sheening in the vicinity," informed Sean Churchfield, Royal Dutch Shell's Alaska operations director and the company's emergency response coordinator.
Salvage crew members found some wave damage to the ship's topside and some breached hatches which caused water damage inside, he added. Generators had also suffered injuries and new ones might have to be transported in to secure power to move the ship, he told.
It is still unclear how serious the injury is or how long it is going to take to transport the Kulluk away from the site, officials told.
Churchfield told he couldn't comment on how the grounding would influence Shell's 2013 drilling plans.
But Pete Slaiby, Shell's vice president for Alaska actions, gave a presentation to the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly where he claimed he hoped the salvage operation would be "short term" - meaning more like days rather than months.