) Macondo well exploded in April, killing 11 workers and causing the biggest U.S. offshore oil spill in history." All 13 crew at the Mariner Energy platform are safe, and the fire has been put out, U.S. Coast Guard Captain Peter Troedsson said yesterday at a New Orleans press conference. Michael McKenna, president of MWR Strategies, an oil-industry consulting firm in Washington, described the implications of the fire to Bloomberg. "The Obama guys are going to use this as a reason to slow, complicate and retard the issuance of permits," McKenna said in an interview. The moratorium was devised to halt exploratory drilling in more than 500 feet of water. The Bloomberg report notes that "Interior Department officials have said the ban, which expires Nov. 30, may be lifted earlier if the industry shows it has improved safety and developed means to contain another spill. Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar declined to comment on whether the fire would affect the moratorium, according to an e- mail yesterday from his spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff." Shares of Mariner Energy have rebounded after Thursday's volatility. The stock is up 1.8% this afternoon, to $23.16. Find the latest business news at