BP's (NYSE:BP) Don Suttles Sees Offshore Drilling Returning in Stages

The oil moratorium and new regulations imposed on the offshore oil industry by the Obama administration will probably result in a slow restart of drilling once the moratorium is lifted, according to BP's (NYSE:BP) chief operating officer Don Suttles.

Suttles said concerning interim regulations, that "Certain equipment, certain wells, certain rigs are going to find it easier to meet those requirements," adding that will probably ultimately lead to a "phased restart" of offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

William Reilly, a co-chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, said when asked about the speed with which drilling will resume and the moratorium lifted, that he and co-Chair Bob Graham "have both raised a number of questions" concerning "just how much one needs to do" to increase the quality of oversight of the 33 oil rigs remaining in the Gulf.

"It's not entirely clear what remains to be done," Reilly said.

In other words, this is an over-response, not matter how it's spun. What more can be done than to ensure equipment is working properly and workers are trained to do their jobs well, and there is testing and follow up to verify it?

While Reilly didn't say it, he does seem to be frustrated over attempting to make something perfect in a world where perfection is impossible.