Reuters reports:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled 2-1 on Thursday against the administration’s request to stay a lower court decision lifting the six-month drilling ban, saying the government failed to show how it would be irreparably harmed if it were not granted.
The court, in New Orleans, added that the administration also “made no showing that there is any likelihood that drilling activities will be resumed pending appeal.”

The plan now is for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to issue a new order that attempts to address the concerns raised by the district court ruling that originally halted the moratorium.