He will issue an order reinstituting a moratorium on Gulf of Mexico deepwater oil drilling, said U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday.

It has been also reported that Salazar's announcement followed one by the White House that the Obama administration will appeal the order by a federal judge in New Orleans granting a preliminary injunction to block the six-month ban.

The moratorium was ordered after the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP exploded April 20 and sank two days later, spewing oil unchecked into the gulf ever since. Eleven oil rig workers were killed in the explosion.

It was also reported that U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman's ruling prohibits the federal government from enforcing its moratorium on drilling in more than 500 feet of water while safety issues are investigated.

According to the reports of CNN, a group of companies that provide boats and equipment to the offshore drilling industry challenged the moratorium, claiming the government doesn't have evidence demonstrating existing operations threaten the gulf. The group wants the ban declared invalid and unenforceable.

The decision to impose the moratorium "was and is the right decision. The moratorium is needed to protect the communities and the environment of the Gulf Coast, and [the Justice Department] is therefore appealing today's court ruling," said a statement issued by Salazar late on Tuesday.

Evidence mounts every day that the oil industry "needs to raise the bar on blowout prevention, containment, and response planning before deepwater drilling should continue," Salazar said.

He further added, "Based on this ever-growing evidence, I will issue a new order in the coming days that eliminates any doubt that a moratorium is needed, appropriate, and within our authorities." (With Inputs from Agencies)