Jim Noe, executive vice president of Houston-based Hercules Offshore, hopes that under the new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, the federal agency will focus on increasing U.S. energy output by creating a more clear and dependable business environment that attracts investment Gulf of Mexico exploration.  More »

A top congressional Republican wants to know more about a new Interior Department “strike team” dedicated to rooting out wrongdoing by companies drilling offshore and the government officials who police them.  More »

In a move surprising Washington insiders, Pres. Obama picks Sally Jewell — the CEO of REI and a former Mobil Oil Corp. engineer — for Interior secretary.  More »

Federal offshore drilling regulators on Wednesday advanced a policy statement meant to prod oil and gas companies to adopt a “safety culture” following lethal accidents in the Gulf of Mexico. The move comes as regulators draw scrutiny for not conducting audits of newly mandated safety programs and weeks after a fatal fire on a production platform 18 miles from Louisiana’s coast.  More »

Federal regulators today revealed a new process for reviewing permits in response to complaints from oil and gas companies that say the government’s previous system was unwieldy. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement will also give oil and gas companies a peek at its checklist for examining whether permit applications are ready for prime time.  More »

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is blocking confirmation of a nominee to head the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service in a bid to force federal regulators to speed up approvals of deep-water drilling projects. Vitter says he won’t back down until at least 15 new deep-water wells get the green light.  More »

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s summit with offshore drilling advocates today won’t lead to swift government action on permitting decisions, industry leaders said. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)  More »

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., relinquished her blockade of a White House nominee after months protesting the Obama administration’s handling of offshore drilling. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)  More »

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Obama administration officials stressed today that they want companies to certify under penalty of law that they can quickly contain blown-out offshore wells before new deep-water drilling permits are issued.  More »

Drillers at energy event in Houston say they’re skeptical about the pace of new permits, but one company holds out hope for more activity by the end of the year. (Photo: US Coast Guard)  More »

Energy industry leaders are expected to take aim at new offshore drilling rules, slower federal permitting of wells and the just-lifted moratorium on deep-water exploration during the event on Monday. (AP file photo)  More »