SNAP ANALYSIS-No quick relief for oil drillers after ruling

* Obama could go to appeals court to uphold drill ban

* Interior Dept could rewrite moratorium terms

* Drilling might not restart soon because of uncertainties

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge's ruling lifts the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling for oil but court appeals and other factors could delay the resumption of exploration activity.

Judge Martin Feldman went to great lengths to criticize the moratorium imposed after the April 20 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, noting the irreparable economic harm to workers who operate the drilling rigs as well as the communities that support them.

Several factors could delay action:

* It will take time and resources to litigate the case as it moves through the appeals process. The administration will probably have to ask for a stay of the lower court ruling while it pursues the appeal, a request that is not always granted despite the broad ramifications of Feldman's decision.

*Obama administration officials could also try to justify the moratorium by crafting a new, narrower suspension of drilling activity.