Obama seeks new drill ban as oil still spews

Reuters reports: The White House is set to step up its legal battle to keep deepwater drilling on hold in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

A U.S. judge yesterday overturned a six-month ban on drilling in water deeper than 500 feet (152 metres) after an appeal by drillers who stand to lose business.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will offer testimony later today on why the government will appeal that ruling and seek to renew the ban.

The ban was imposed after a well operated by British oil company BP exploded on April 20 and began spewing crude into the sea.

"We see clear evidence every day, as oil spills from BP's well, of the need for a pause on deepwater drilling," Salazar said in a statement.

Salazar will testify to a Senate subcommittee today, along with Michael Bromwich, the new head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy, which under its previous name the Minerals and Management Service was blamed for failing to police the energy industry adequately.

But President Barack Obama, also dealing with his top general in Afghanistan over inflammatory comments in a magazine article, postponed today's energy policy meeting with senators which would have covered the process for passing energy and climate laws this year.