But he said that Coast Guard officers did not immediately suspect that an underwater pipeline was the problem.

More than 20,000 miles of underwater pipelines and 3,000 offshore platforms were in the path of either storm.

The oil is then collected by underwater pipelines from 15 wells and sent to a central underwater collection point, which controls its flow.

It took until February to repair underwater pipelines and drilling platforms and bring production back to normal levels.

A 24-inch underwater pipeline from Mobil's Idaho production platform three and a half miles offshore had snapped.

Broadwater also has to overcome Iroquois's concerns about a connection to its underwater pipeline.

Those assets may be out of commission for months while the industry scrambles to repair battered platforms and underwater pipelines.

Mr President, we are talking about this project as if this is the first time in the world an underwater pipeline is being built.

Several underwater pipelines are listed in Japan, China and Britain.

Broadwater also has to deal with Iroquois's concerns about the proposed underwater pipeline connection.