The Financial Times has reported that the regulator that issues permits for deep water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is urging the United States government for more money. After the BP oil spill last April, The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement stopped granting permits. However, they resumed with issuing these permits last month.

Michael Bromwich, head of the bureau, asked President Obama for another $100 million for the 2011 financial year since there are only 60 inspectors to monitor 4,000 facilities. Congress has yet to approve his request.

The first permit that was issued to drill oil from the gulf was to Shell in March to drill a well at 2,721 feet deep around 137 miles off the cost of Louisiana and 250 miles southeast of Houston, Texas. The “permit approval represents a culmination of a broad and comprehensive review process involving an exploration plan, a site-specific environmental assessment, and the application for the drilling permit, all of which compiled with our rigorous safety and environmental standards”, said Bromwich.

He also said that the completion of this approval shows that they are proceeding in this area as quickly as their resources will allow them. On the other hand, some people believe the government is acting prematurely in this area and should take more time to assess environmental issues.