Cathy Landry | 202.682.8122 | landryc@api.org
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2010 — The American Petroleum Institute Tuesday welcomed lifting of the shallow water moratorium but urged reconsideration of the deepwater drilling moratorium:
"We fully support the Minerals Management Service’s goal of making offshore energy production as safe and environmentally sensitive as possible. We vow to work with the government to reach that goal.
"We have not been able to fully analyze MMS’ notice to lessees (NTL), which was released late today, but we are pleased that a framework is beginning to take shape to allow shallow water drilling activity to resume. However, we urge MMS to be mindful that actions taken today could impair the nation’s production of much-needed oil and natural gas in the future, threatening jobs, government revenues and America’s energy security. We encourage reconsideration of the deepwater drilling moratorium.
"Independent analyses have indicated the six-month moratorium on new drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf could result in a production loss of between 80,000 and 130,000 barrels per day and idle nearly 50,000 workers in the already hard-hit Gulf states.
"Domestic oil and natural gas production will continue to be an integral part of our nation’s energy future. Producing that oil and natural gas is our job. Producing it safely and responsibly is, and will continue to be, our most important obligation."
Updated: June 8, 2010