A new Rasmussen poll shows that support for offshore oil and natural gas development is holding steady despite the Deepwater Horizon accident. In a survey conducted July 22-23 via telephone, 56 percent of U.S. voters think offshore drilling should be allowed, and 47 percent favor deepwater drilling.

Unfortunately, new offshore development has ground to a standstill, and shallow-water drilling operators have discovered that complying with the government's new requirements is quite difficult. Blogger Vladimir at RedState says, "Operators have encountered road blocks at every turn."

The recertification of blowout preventers (BOPs) is one of the major obstacles. Only a few firms are licensed to perform the certifications, creating a backlog of operators whose BOPs must be recertified before ge... more »

We've told you about the moratorium and the toll it's taking on the U.S. economy. When combined with congressional legislation, it could result in the loss of 175,000 jobs per year and a 27 percent decline in U.S. oil production.

But have you seen the faces of the people who are most affected?

Legislation that seeks to punish an entire industry for a horrendous accident is counterproductive. And the administration's de facto moratorium on offshore development won't improve operational safety. Instead, the livelihoods of thousands of Gulf Coast families are being destroyed.

There's nothing to be gained by killing jobs. Lift the moratorium now.

Today could be D-Day for the Macondo well. According to reports, BP is conducting a test to determine the likely success of killing the well from the top, while getting in position to assault the well from the bottom.

This two-pronged attack is expected to begin tonight or tomorrow with a static kill in which heavy drilling muds are pumped into the Macondo's cap and down into the well.

If the static kill works, the pressure inside the well will fall from 6,980 psi (pounds per square inch) to zero as the mud forces the rising oil and gas back down into the earth. Then engineers hope to force cement through the top of the well to permanently plug it from the top.

To further ensure Macondo's death, the relief well will intercept the wellbore and pump in heavy mud and cement, forcing the oil a... more »