PLC appeared to win new drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, less than a week after a federal ban was lifted that kept the company from doing business with the U.S. government for 16 months. London-based BP was the high bidder on 24 oil and gas blocks offshore out of 31 properties it pursued in the auction. The company will pay $41.6 million for new access to explore in U.S. waters off the coasts of Louisiana and Alabama. The deal marks the first time since November 2012 that BP has been able to expand its offshore drilling sites in the Gulf. The Environmental Protection Agency banned BP from getting any new government contracts, including offshore leases and jet fuel supply agreements with the military, in the wake of the company’s guilty plea to several criminal charges related to its deadly 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and […]