With the Obama administration asking a judge to delay a court ruling that overturned the moratorium on new drilling in the Gulf, many in Acadiana were left with unanswered questions on how the moratorium and the appeal affect them.

Eric Drummond moved to Lafayette a few weeks ago with a job lined up in the oil-service industry, but when he came to meet his employer he was told there was a hiring freeze because of the moratorium. Now the 24-year-old father has a job with a fast-food chain, and is left wondering what's next, asking "when is the work going to open up?"

"Companies are not going back to work right now," said Don Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA).

Briggs says the rigs affected by the moratorium won't likely resume drilling right now, pending the administration's appeal.

"They can't go out there and just start up again and the go back again, they want to see this issue settled," he said.

With the appeal now the crux of the case, Drummond was left with one more question, "how long is the appeal going to take?"

For that answer, we went to Lafayette lawyer Jim Roy, with Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, L.L.C.

"I don't know what the United States Court of Appeal for the 5th circuit will do in this particular case, they certainly could hear it on an expedited basis, but if they don't hear it on an expedited basis, this could take months," said Roy.

Jim Hummel

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.

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