/EINPresswire.com/ -- HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - May 01, 2017) - The International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) President Nikki Martin today issued the following statement on the Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's decision to order the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to expeditiously consider permit applications for seismic surveying of the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf:

"On behalf of the IAGC and its member companies, including PGS, TGS, CGG, WesternGeco, GXT/ION and Spectrum, we commend the Department of the Interior for ordering the expeditious consideration of six applications for oil and gas exploration geological & geophysical (G&G) permits for the Mid- and South-Atlantic Planning areas."

"On January 6, 2017, the BOEM announced an unprecedented decision to deny all six permit applications. The previous Administration's denial of these applications, which is currently on appeal, disregarded the rule of law and ignored BOEM's own environmental impact analyses and conclusions. Today, however, the new Administration has demonstrated its commitment to national energy security, rational decision making, and continued economic well-being of this nation by ordering the expeditious consideration of those permit applications and moving forward with the review process to issue future decisions applying the proper legal standards.

"We commend Secretary Zinke and the BOEM for their forward-thinking and lawful approach in considering acquisition of data for the U.S. Atlantic that is essential for the long-term planning in an area for which existing data is outdated.

"It is of the utmost importance that we allow offshore seismic surveys to be conducted to have an accurate assessment of our nation's oil and natural gas resources. New surveys will provide an updated and environmentally safe assessment of the oil and natural gas reserves in the Atlantic, critical to informing national energy strategy and future OCS leasing decisions and plans."

About the IAGC
The IAGC represents more than 125 member companies worldwide from all segments of the geophysical industry and is the only trade organization solely dedicated to representing the industry. It is the leader in geophysical technical and operations expertise and for more than 45 years, the IAGC has worked to optimize the business and regulatory climate and enhances public understanding to support a strong, viable geophysical industry essential to discovering and delivering the world's energy resources.