Gulf rig owners attack Obama's drilling ban

The owners of wrecked rig spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico today criticised the US government’s six-month ban on deepwater drilling in the area.

Transocean president Steven Newman said there were measures President Barack Obama’s administration “could implement today that would allow the industry to go back to work tomorrow without an arbitrary six-month time limit”.

Transocean owned the Deepwater Horizon rig, which was run by BP and is the site of the worst oil spill in US history.

A US federal judge is considering lifting to lift the hold on new deepwater drilling imposed by Obama and will decide by tomorrow.

Chevron oil executive Jay Pryor was also critical of the US government's move, saying the drilling moratorium would "constrain supplies for world energy".

“It would also be a step back for energy security,” said Mr Pryor, at a London oil industry conference.

Meanwhile, BP executive Steve Westwell was heckled during his speech at the meeting, where he was standing in for embattled chief executive Tony Hayward.

The BP chief of staff was interrupted twice during his address by protesters shouting “we need to end the oil age”. The hecklers were escorted out of the venue by security.

Mr Westwell said Mr Hayward was “genuinely sorry” not to be at the conference, where he had been due to give a key address about the global responsibilities of international oil companies.

“He and I both hope you understand his schedule is under incredible pressure at the moment,” Mr Westwell told delegates.

More than 120 million gallons of oil have leaked already from the rig’s broken pipe, according to the most pessimistic US government estimates.

Oil has been washing up from Louisiana to Florida, killing birds and fish, coating marshes and wetlands and covering pristine beaches with tar balls and oily debris.

A pair of relief wells considered the best chance at a permanent fix will not be completed until August.