La. companies ask judge to end drilling moratorium

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Companies that ferry people and supplies to offshore oil rigs asked a federal judge today to lift a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects imposed in the aftermath of the massive Gulf spill. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman heard two hours of arguments Monday and said he will decide by Wednesday whether to overturn the ban imposed by President Barack Obama’s administration after the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion.