As many as half of the gas and oil industry jobs that exist in the Gulf of Mexico are provided by independent operators, according to analysis from IHS Global Insight.
While all eyes may presently be on BP's operations in the area as the firm looks to minimise the impact of its Deepwater Horizon rig leak, the market research firm has found that independents have a significant role to play.
In 2009, they provided around 200,000 of the 400,000 jobs in the sector in the region, with a similar share in the $20 billion (£13 billion) in revenues and $70 billion in total market value.
James Diffley, group managing director of US regional economics for IHS Global Insight and lead author of the report, says: "The offshore Gulf of Mexico also plays a huge part in the nation's energy security and is a leading contributor to the economic vitality of the four-state Gulf region."
He adds that the report underlines how important independent gas and oil industry operators are to the region's economy - and how they are likely to remain so.
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