IADC Applauds Senators' Leadership in Opposing Federal Drilling Moratorium

HOUSTON, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) applauds the leadership of three United States Senators: David Vitter (Louisiana), John Cornyn (Texas), and Roger Wicker (Mississippi), who are opposing the federal moratorium on offshore permitting and drilling activities announced on July 12 by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Last week the three Gulf Coast senators sponsored legislation (S. 3588) to lift the offshore drilling and permitting moratorium for companies that have complied with the new safety and inspection requirements issued by the Department of the Interior.

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"The men and women whose livelihoods depend on the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry in the Gulf of Mexico deeply appreciate the efforts of our legislators to lift the drilling moratorium," said IADC President Dr. Lee Hunt. "Industry representatives have communicated to the Interior Department and Congress our industry's strong commitment to rigorous requirements for well design, enhanced training, and adoption of safety case requirements for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs). We are dismayed by the continued blanket suspension of deepwater drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Lifting the moratorium is critical to tens of thousands of jobs in the deepwater industry and to the oil and gas service sector in the Gulf Coast region and throughout the country."

IADC is dedicated to enhancing the interests of oil-and-gas and geothermal drilling contractors worldwide. Visit the IADC website at www.iadc.org.

Editors & reporters: To review IADC's recent news releases on the drilling moratorium and other resources, please go to www.IADC.org/Offshore_GOM_Reform.

SOURCE International Association of Drilling Contractors