They also voted to block drilling for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes over the objection of the White House.

CNN: House votes in favor of lower drinking water arsenic levels

California (and the federal government) also pushed the use of natural gas, ignoring the fact that, because everyone had assumed natural gas would remain in a glut, the state and other political entities had been doing everything possible to block drilling, exploration and transportation for new supplies.

FORBES: Fact And Comment

In 2011, the AAR consortium attempted to block a drilling joint venture in the Arctic between BP and Rosneft through the courts.

BBC: BP sells TNK-BP stake to Russia's Rosneft

But the wooing will be a lot trickier if Democrats block new domestic drilling, as several propose.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

Given the time it would take to clear up any disaster, he says, Brazil may block BP or delay the offshore drilling as they are eager to avoid any catastrophe in 2014 and 2016 when the nation will be in the world spotlight for the FIFA World Cup and the summer Olympics.

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Earlier today, the White House Natural Resources Committee voted to block BP from getting future offshore oil drilling leases.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Deepwater Horizon was drilling for BP on part of the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 known as the Macondo prospect, in 1, 500m (5, 000ft) of water.

BBC: Tackling oil rig disaster 'number one priority' - Obama

It is no wonder that BP are acting out this exercise in a public way as US lawmakers threatened to block any application BP would make to be party to drilling and exploration activity involving new US offshore leases because of its past safety record.

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Unable to stop Canadian oil drilling and tar sand extraction programs, environmental groups are now trying to block any pipeline that is proposed out of the oil producing regions.

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