Deep drilling moves ahead

Deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico could resume within weeks under a policy by the US government, which has come under increasing criticism from the oil industry and politicians in the region over the impact of the drilling halt and worries from scientists that the full impact has not yet been assessed. Oil and gas exploration in the gulf’s deep waters has been stopped since May, when Obama announced a six-month drilling moratorium in the wake of the April explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which killed 11 workers and set off the worst off-shore oil spill in US history. The administration lifted the ban in October — a month ahead of schedule — but hasn’t issued any permits for new deep-water wells. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the delay has hurt both the oil industry, which has seen billions of dollars in projects put on hold, and the Gulf Coast’s economy, which has been hit hard by the slowdown. The decision has alarmed environmentalists who are still assessing the damage caused by the oil rig disaster. But a government report last month suggested that the vast majority of the oil is already gone. The Gulf has more natural oil leaks than anywhere else around the US coast and this is likely to be the reason that there are many bacteria able to metabolise oil in this region, researchers say. “Under the right conditions, bacteria can degrade spilled oil remarkably quickly,” the Washington Post reported. But many researchers are still concerned about reports of oil deposited deep on the Gulf ocean floor and the substantial damage it did to marine life and the economy of the Gulf region throughout the summer. But reports suggest the government is planning to clear the path for 13 companies, including Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron, to resume work on a handful of wells that were already approved and under way when the moratorium took effect. The companies’ 16 projects must still comply with