The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has formally halted the practice, and Exxon Mobil has stopped drilling in Lower Saxony state because of local opposition.
Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, pointed out on Tuesday that the Interior Department has stopped processing drilling permits and leasing onshore, and stopped leasing and related activities for offshore oil and gas exploration.
That has stopped all drill efforts for now.
The company has stopped the flow but is still in the process of drilling a relief well to plug it permanently.
Mr. Daschle has stopped committee action on Mr. Bush's energy bill, which would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
PDVSA is months behind with payments to its suppliers, and some drilling rigs have stopped operating as a result.
And because of the spread of the spill, the Minerals Management Service said on Saturday that two Gulf of Mexico drilling platforms have stopped natural gas production and one was evacuated as a safety measure.
"If this were dangerous, then every other operator drilling deepwater wells would have stopped already," says Geoffrey Kieburtz, oil analyst at Weeden & Co. Hundreds of wells have been drilled at this depth and deeper, especially offshore Brazil, with no spills.
