Quest Offshore Inc. says in a new report that if drilling permitting returns to pre-BP oil spill numbers, the industry could generate 190,000 new direct and indirect jobs by 2013.

Such industry-supported reports are usually a little suspect, but American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard, who released the report this week, said there are enough projects ready to put 190,0000 people to work if only the Obama administration would speed the permitting process.

Administration officials have said that they are issuing permits and that the previous moratorium was necessary to ensure safe operations given that last year’s BP disaster showed flaws with blowout preventers and spill response capability, among others.

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