The current count of 38 rigs drilling in Louisiana OCS waters is nearly double the 20 active rigs that were operating in the area to open the year 2011.
That count of 38 is still lower than the average count of about 42 rigs running during the three months prior to the federal moratorium that was declared lifted in October 2010 - though federal regulators issued no new permits until February 2011. In the weeks that followed the declaration of the moratorium, that rig count fell as low as 11.
Louisiana OCS rig counts of 35 or more every week for the past several weeks roughly match the rate activity in the first weeks of 2010, as the national energy exploration industry was ramping back up after cutbacks during the worst of an economic recession.
The industry, however, was on a much faster pace to recover from broader economic issues than it has been to rebound from the moratorium and ensuing slower pace of permitting.
Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2010, designated Angelle to head the Back-To-Work Coalition, an association of Gulf exploration stakeholders that has worked, and continues to work, to help both federal regulators and the industry find a regulatory middle ground that ensures safe and responsible operations while allowing development of the resources that provide domestic energy and domestic jobs.
"I am pleased to see the evidence of the progress we have made through the Back to Work Coalition in restoring energy exploration and the jobs and domestic energy production that it supports, but we still have work to do and goals to achieve to help OCS activity realize its full potential as a critical component of our economy and energy security," Angelle said. "And we are committed to continuing to work with industry and federal regulators to ensure a pace of permitting that is both efficient and effective."
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