Interior Dept. denies it has extended drilling freeze to shallow gulf waters
By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 3, 2010; 3:00 PM
The Interior Department denied that it has extended a drilling freeze to shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, contradicting an e-mail written earlier Thursday by the Minerals Management Service's supervisor of field operations for the Gulf of Mexico.
An Interior Department spokesman said "shallow water drilling may continue as long as oil and gas operations satisfy the environmental and safety requirements Secretary Salazar outlined in his report to the President and have exploration plans that meet those requirements. There is no moratorium on shallow water drilling."
Earlier, Michael J. Saucier, regional supervisor of field operations for the MMS Gulf of Mexico region, said in an e-mail to one company seeking a permit that "until further notice we have been informed not to approve or allow any drilling no matter the water depth." Only three days earlier he had told the same company that drilling in water up to 500 feet deep would not be affected by the Obama moratorium.
Obama last week announced that he would suspend drilling in deepwater in the Gulf for six months, effectively delaying plans for at least 30 rigs. Lawmakers from Gulf coast states had urged him to allow continued drilling in shallow waters to protect jobs in the region.
