Steve Hargreaves
CNN.com
6/26/2010
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The offshore drilling ban imposed after the BP disaster is only supposed to hit operations in deep water — 500 feet or more.
But drillers in shallow water say they haven’t been issued permits since the April 20 explosion. The delay has already forced hundreds of layoffs, and many more could be on the way.
“I’m almost out of business over here,” said Paul Butler, president of Spartan Offshore, a small drilling company in Metairie, La.
Butler said that only one of his four drill rigs are operating; all four were drilling before the spill. Spartan has six contracts that would put his entire fleet back to work, but he can’t get going until the permits come through, he added.
The week before last, Butler said he had to lay off 72 employees. Come Tuesday he’ll have to let another 140 go.
“That’s 140 families, is how I look at it,” Butler said…
…”The Department of Interior isn’t issuing permits,” said Jim Noe, a Hercules executive. “By mid July all of our rigs will be on the beach, and the workers without a job.”
That could be a lot of jobs.
Jobs on the line: Deep water drilling, which is currently banned while an investigation into the Deepwater Horizon accident is underway, is estimated to employ at least 35,000 people on both the rigs and in jobs that support them…
Read the complete article, with video, at CNN.com
