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Interior official declines to offer specific timeline for Gulf drilling
The Interior Department’s top drilling official declined to give details on when the department will begin issuing new deepwater drilling permits for the Gulf of Mexico.
“I don’t want to hazard a guess as to exactly when the first deepwater permits will be issued,” Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Director Michael Bromwich said Wednesday. He added that he hopes new deepwater permits “will be approved before too long.”
Bromwich said last week that he expects to begin issuing permits before the second half of the year. Asked by reporters for a more specific date, Bromwich declined.
“I don’t want to hazard a more specific guess than that,” he said.
The oil and gas industry is waiting for clarity from the Interior Department on when deepwater drilling may resume in the Gulf of Mexico. The industry has criticized the department for taking too long to issue new permits and for not offering enough detail on what is expected when complying with sweeping new drilling safety regulations.
