U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman chided the department for its "dismissive conduct" after he overturned the agency's decision to halt any new permits for deepwater projects and suspend drilling on 33 exploratory wells after the Deepwater Horizon blast, which killed 11 workers and triggered the massive spill.
A magistrate will consider how much the companies' attorneys should get.
An Interior Department spokeswoman wouldn't comment. A lawyer for the companies hailed the ruling.
"We're obviously delighted with the court's recognition of the government's manipulation of the judicial review process," said Carl Rosenblum, an attorney for Hornbeck Offshore Services and other companies that sued over the first moratorium.
Rosenblum said the companies haven't asked for a specific amount and aren't trying to profit.
"The end game has always been to put people back to work," he said.
Last month, however, Feldman refused to order the government to move faster. The judge said it's unclear whether the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management must approve or reject drilling permit applications within a specific time.
(KNOWING HOW THIS ADMINISTRATION's FOOT DRAGGING CONTINUES AGAINST THE PEOPLE, THE INTERIOR LOVES TO GIVE THE PEOPLES MONEY AWAY AND KEEP PAYING FINES JUST FOR SPITE.)
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