Opportunity seen to raise support of offshore work

High oil and gas prices provide offshore producers a significant new opportunity to build public support. But it won’t be possible without involving coastal states and communities from the outset, federal and state government officials told the National Ocean Industries Association’s 2005 annual meeting. “The atmosphere in Washington is changing,” declared Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.). “For those who produce oil and gas offshore, this is the opportunity to tell their story to a nation that might be willing to listen for the first time in years.”