US Reopens Atlantic to Possible Oil, Gas Exploration

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Donald Trump’s America-First offshore energy policy was cited in a decision to resume an evaluation of applications from six energy companies to explore for oil and gas off the Atlantic coast, the US Department of the Interior announced in a press release on Wednesday.

"Seismic surveying helps a variety of federal and state partners better understand our nation’s offshore areas, including locating offshore hazards, siting of wind turbines, as well as offshore energy development," Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke stated in the release.

Aside from providing data on potential offshore oil and gas resources, seismic surveys are also used to site offshore wind structures, locate potential seafloor hazards, locate potential sand and gravel resources for beach replenishment activities and locate potential archaeological resources, the release explained.

Weeks before former President Barack Obama left office in January, his administration denied all applications to conduct seismic surveys in the Atlantic.

A month earlier, Obama banned all oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.