New Orleans, La - June 30, 2010  On June 22nd Judge Martin Feldman struck down the moratorium on American deepwater drilling. Yet not one of the 33 affected rigs has returned to work, nor are any set to return in the next few weeks.
 
Shallow-water operators, who drill in depths of less than 500 feet of water, are just starting to return after resubmitting to the permit process. However, these operators provide only 20 percent of the Gulf of Mexico oil supply. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar remains resolutely against deepwater drilling and is appealing Judge Feldman's injunction. More importantly, DOI has already begun imposing heightened regulatory requirements, which may effectively bypass the ruling by making it impossible to begin drilling.

Click here to read The Stealth Moratorium.