What is offshore drilling? Offshore drilling consists of platforms off the coastline that dig deep into the Earth’s oceans to extract petroleum. The platforms are gigantic structures that can house hundreds of people and can go over a thousand meters deep into the ocean.
Explore other things about offshore drilling you should know—such as why they’ve become popular, how drilling works, and environmental concerns.
Popularity
Even though the consequences of climate change are affecting billions of people, there is still a huge demand for fossil fuels to fuel our cars, homes, and offices. The world consumes tens of billions of barrels of oil and petroleum every year, and to meet this demand, offshore rigs drill beneath the ocean to access the deep petroleum reserves hidden beneath the water.
Safety
Many people are concerned about the environmental impact offshore rigs can have on our world. Explosions and leaks put both human and sea life in danger, so it’s important that crews working on oil rigs follow safety protocols. The proper training on safety needs to be available for new employees. Crews should monitor oil and gas flow meters for changes that could warn of a potential disaster. Employees also need to administer regular maintenance on machinery to prevent mechanical failure.
Drilling
Because offshore drilling involves extracting oil from beneath the sea, it’s obviously more complicated than drilling on the mainland. A rig is built, and then the crew uses a subsea drilling template so seawater doesn’t flow into the hole and oil doesn’t rush into the ocean. The template marks the drilling site, and the drill pipes connect to form a drill string that will reach into the Earth’s crust. A drill bit at the end of the string spins into the Earth’s crust, which is a process that can take weeks or months to produce oil.
Unfortunately, during the extraction process, there will be some spillage. Knowing the things about offshore drilling you should know can help you stay informed on better ways to protect our environment.
