US president Barack Obama said today that domestic oil drilling remains an important part of the US energy policy and is important to US security, but must be done responsibly.
He said any future offshore tracts leased to companies to search for oil would be subject to better safety measures to prevent and control spills, in the wake of the BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"I continue to believe that domestic oil production is an important part of our overall strategy for energy security, but I've always said it must be done responsibly for the safety of our workers and our environment," Mr Obama said.
Mr Obama, whose administration has faced criticism that its response to the spill has been too slow, said the government is doing everything possible to help stop the spill and alleviate its effects.
"BP is ultimately responsible under the law for paying the costs of response and cleanup operations, but we are fully prepared to meet our responsibilities to any and all affected communities," Mr Obama said.
Interior secretary Ken Salazar is conducting a "thorough review" of the incident and will report back within 30 days on what should be required to prevent accidents.
"We're going to make sure that any leases going forward have those safeguards," Mr Obama said.
He promised continued updates about the situation in the Gulf of Mexico going forward.
Reuters