“Approvals” will come after all the big American rigs have been moved to work offshore in Brazil and Asia and after American drillers have laid off so many highly-skilled workers that actually re-starting drilling in American waters again will be really, REALLY difficult.
As George Soros says:
KILL
DRILLING
KILL
using the government’s “power” to just say “NO”.
Most of the big floaters have already left the gulf and are drilling exploration wells in other far flung locations. I think there is only 3 left down from 35 2 years ago and they are on existing wells. My company has a drillship that moved out of the GOM and is wanting to come back after an exploration well international.
They were claiming that the way things are looking there wont be any new wells permitted until maybe 2012.
Obama is trying to bring the gulf coast to its news because they are red. I think that has alot to do with it. Let all those Republicans suffer for not voting for him.