Houston Chronicle:

Regulatory shoals have slowed oil drilling in the deep
A week after a temporary ban was lifted on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, major oil companies say they are moving quickly to get back to work but finding a far more complex process for obtaining federal permits than before the BP oil spill.
There are new safety and environmental regulations, some confusion over how to interpret them, and uncertainty about offshore rules that still may be in the offing.
The situation suggests that while the deep-water drilling moratorium may be officially over, industry could still face permitting delays and other setbacks as it readies to resume work in the lucrative offshore region.
“It’s anxious times in industry,” said Gary Luquette, president of Chevron Corp.’s North American exploration and production business, “but I think there’s a little bit more optimism today than last week.”
In coming weeks, Chevron will be among the first oil companies to submit post-spill applications with the Interior Department to drill in the deep-water Gulf.
That first batch of applications will be a closely watched indicator of how quickly drilling could resume in the deep water, as well as an important test of a new regulatory regime established in the wake of the Gulf disaster.
Among the new requirements operators must now satisfy before receiving a deep-water drilling permit: chief executives of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas firms must certify that the drilling rigs meet updated safety rules, and companies must prove they have access to enough spill-containment equipment to respond to a “worst case discharge” of a well.

The rest here.