It may not happen this year, but political stability and shallow waters are sure to entice Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) and other oil majors to return to drill in northern Alaska's seas. Exxon is at the center of a dispute in Iraq, oil is regularly stolen from Shell's Nigeria pipelines, and BP and Statoil are reviewing operations in North Africa after a deadly gas plant siege. The Arctic has no such risks. (also)