By Siobhan Hughes Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) on Wednesday appealed to House leaders to soften legislation that responds to the company's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, citing concern about the "drastic impact" the legislation could have for the economy and jobs in the region. The company acknowledged its part in the April 20 disaster, which killed 11 people and sent oil gushing from a broken BP well into the ocean in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S history. But BP, which describes itself as the largest developer in the Gulf of Mexico, also said that its operations "contribute significantly to domestic oil production" and warned that "limiting production" would have "adverse effects on consumers and businesses." The House is set to vote Friday on legislation that would overhaul the U.S. system of offshore drilling, including by exposing companies to unlimited claims for damages beyond cleanup costs. Companies with poor safety records would also be banned from obtaining new drilling leases. The letter was dated July 28 and signed by David Nagel, the executive vice president of BP America. It was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, Calif.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R, Ohio). -By Siobhan Hughes; Dow Jones Newswires; (202) 862-6654; Siobhan.hughes@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 28, 2010 21:14 ET (01:14 GMT)