"In a big win for oil companies, a federal appeals court said it will allow the U.S. Interior Department to move forward with oil and natural gas leasing plans for the Gulf of Mexico that were drawn up by the Bush administration.

The department in May sought clarification of a court decision that struck down the Bush administration's five-year (2007 to 2012) offshore oil and gas drilling plan based on the court's findings that a proper review had not been done on how the drilling would affect the environment.

The initial dispute focused on offshore drilling in Alaskan waters, but the department wanted to know whether leases in the Gulf of Mexico would also be affected.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the U.S. District Court in Washington said leasing plans for the Gulf could continue, as could drilling off Alaska, but the department would have to conduct a review of the environmental risks before approving significant energy development activities."

Tom Doggett reports for Reuters July 29, 2009. [2]