US District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans has ordered a conference session with attorneys representing Ensco Offshore and the federal government after Ensco's claims that the government has not yet issued a single permit to allow offshore drilling even though a moratorium was lifted in October

摘要

He barred the media from the meeting. The federal government is defending the time it is taking to OK deepwater offshore permits -- even though the moratorium was lifted almost a month ago. In its argument to the judge, Ensco claims that since the ban was lifted Oct. 12, the government has not issued a single permit that would allow the resumption of any previously suspended drilling activities. In a filing with the US District Court -- Eastern District of Louisiana, the federal government did not dispute Ensco's claims, saying in its filing that the Department of the Interior must ensure applications meet regulations toughened after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, since Oct. 12, the government has received one application for a permit to drill a new well and one to drill a sidetrack and it also received three revised applications for permits to drill. The BOEM reports that all are pending.