Increase in Influence: How the Independents are Challenging the Authority of the US Government and Why the UK Government Should Take Note

Two recent challenges to the Minerals Management Service in the US with respect to legislation designed to encourage deepwater investment suggest that the increase in the number and influence of independents will require a reappraisal of existing assumptions about the willingness of the industry to prioritise good relations with the state over other issues, especially in mature hydrocarbon provinces.