While the pace of drilling authorizations is accelerating, all too often operators still find themselves sitting on the edge of their desks, awaiting the go-ahead before a contracted deepwater rig can begin paying for itself, according to the grassroots Gulf Economic Survival Team (GEST). What it terms "just-in-time" permitting is one of the key regulatory issues the Thibodaux, La.-based GEST has in its crosshairs, as it continues to lobby federal agencies to infuse more "predictability and clarity" into the game plan they continue to develop for the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, says Executive Director Lori LeBlanc. On the flip side, the waiting time to get a plan approved, which is required before a drilling permit is issued, has been cut nearly in half over the past year, she said.
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