cnn.com - President Obama lifted his moratorium on deepwater oil drilling nearly a month ago, but the government still hasn't issued any new permits in the Gulf of Mexico.
The moratorium was lifted in mid-October after government officials were confident new, stricter rules and regulations were in place.
But no new permits for wells covered under the ban have been issued, according to a spokeswoman for the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement.
Even if a few permits come through, analysts say it will be a far cry from the amount issued pre-spill.
"We're not holding our breath for a return to business as usual," Whitney Stanco, and energy analyst at the Washington Research Group, wrote in a recent research note. "Despite pressure from Gulf state lawmakers and the oil and gas industry, we believe permitting in 2011 will likely be slower than it has been in recent years."
Future output could fall if new wells aren't drilled. EIA predicts U.S. output will drop by about 170,000 barrels a day in 2011 thanks to the ban.
"What's going on over here is a whole lot of nothing," said Jim Noe, an executive at Hercules offshore, who said they are still having a hard time getting permits even for shallow water wells.
Noe said they haven't had to lay off too many people yet, and have kept workers busy doing maintenance work and other jobs. But the longer the permit drought continues, the harder it gets.
"We're not optimistic we'll be back in business in a meaningful way anytime soon," he said.
Blog author's comments - What a complete joke this administration is. Tell us Mr. President why did you lift the moratorium if you did not intend to issue any permits? So...the moratorium was not lifted.
If anyone thinks this administration has learned anything from the outcome of the midterm elections you are wrong. They will continue to believe their policies and agenda are right for the country.
Winning control of the House by the GOP was big, but the gain in state legislatures should now give the Republican Party an added advantage for the future.
The mid-term results give Republicans control of at least 54 of the state legislative chambers, 18 more than before the elections, the highest number since 1952. As a result, state legislatures will likely reflect a more conservative political agenda when they convene in 2011, a crucial advantage in drawing new congressional districts based on the 2010 national census.
There will be significant turnover in House and Senate leadership when legislatures convene next year. Currently, 32 House Speakers are Democrats and 17 are Republican. Next year, this will change to 31 Republicans and 15 Democrats.
The GOP must make the most of what they have won to regain the White House and Senate in 2012.
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