FT.com
By Sheila McNulty in Houston
Published: February 17 2011 17:38
Oil companies on Thursday launched a spill containment system in the Gulf of Mexico in a bid to restart the issuance of permits stalled after BPs fatal Macondo well disaster.
ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and ConocoPhillips unveiled the interim containment system, which they said was open to all operators in the gulf.
The Obama administration issued a moratorium on gulf drilling following BPs fatal Macondo disaster in April 2010. But even though the moratorium has been lifted, activity remains constrained.