Offshore Drilling
By: Thomas Schmidt, Edwin Fiscal, Tiffany
Spencer and Puja Gohil
The controversy is...
...whether or not we should continue
offshore drilling
History
● The Industrial Revolution
o First oil company was founded in Titusville,
Pennsylvania in 1859.
o What contributed to the rise of oil?


New modes of transportation
Scientific advances
o Standard Oil
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/extremeoil/history/1850.html
History
● The first offshore drilling platform was
created in 1896
o By Henry L. Williams
o It was a success!
http://aoghs.org/offshore-history/offshore-oil-history/
History
● During the early 20th century, the
United States led in the production of oil
in the world.
o World War 1
o World War 2
o The U.S. seeking foreign oil.
History
● Santa Barbara Oil Spill
o Covered over 800 square miles
o Led to the Creation of:
 Earth Day
 National Environmental Policy Act
 Clean Water Act
http://www.counterspill.org/disaster/santa-barbara-oil-spill
History
● 1970s - the United States replied more
and more on foreign oil.
● OPEC oil embargos
History
● Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
o 10.8 million barrels of oil spilled off the
shore of Alaska.
o Still being clean today.
http://www.counterspill.org/disaster/
History
● BP Oil Spill
o 40 Billion barrels of oil spilled.
o $3 trillion of oil lost.
o Destroyed the economy of states on the
Gulf of Mexico.
http://www.counterspill.org/disaster/
learnaboutdolphins.wordpress.com
Political Institutions that Regulate Offshore
Drilling
●
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
●
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
U.S. Energy information Administration
What is offshore drilling?
Something to look at
Offshore Oil and Gas Resources
Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production accounts for 23 percent of total U.S. crude oil production and federal offshore natural
gas production in the Gulf accounts for 7 percent of total U.S. dry production, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Over 40 percent of total U.S. petroleum refining capacity is located along the Gulf coast, as well as 30 percent of total U.S. natural
gas processing plant capacity.
To meet increasing U.S. demand while addressing environmental concerns, new technologies have resulted in drilling rigs
capable of drilling 250 miles offshore to ocean depths exceeding 10,000 feet. At stake are an additional 19 billion barrels of oil and
another 86 trillion cubic feet of gas. Fear of oil spills and heated environmental debates restrict access to many potential areas.
More than 5,000 offshore oil and natural gas platforms operate in the Gulf of Mexico around the clock, seven-days a week. It is the
largest artificial reef system in the world.
http://aoghs.org/offshore-history/offshore-oil-history/
Something to Look At (Continued...)
According to the National Academy of Sciences, more than 60 percent of all oil found in seawater is not from wells, but
from natural seepage (the largest emitting 1,000 barrels of oil a week); 32 percent comes from shipping and run-off
from land. Four percent can be attributed to tanker spills.
However, near Santa Barbara, Calif., offshore drilling’s worst environmental disaster occurred in 1969 when an
undersea well blew out. The calamity quickly brought industry changes that have protected the offshore environment
ever since.
Between 1980 and 1999, about 7.4 billion barrels of oil were produced in federal waters, says the U.S. Coast Guard.
Less than a thousandth of one percent spilled – less than the natural seepage of oil from the sea floor.
Science Behind OffShore Drilling
1)Offshore drilling processes and equipment are essentially the same as those on land
2)special types of rigs are used depending on water depth.
3)In depths up to 4,000 feet (1,220 meters), drilling takes place on semisubmersible rigs that float on air-filled legs
4)Drillships with very precise navigational instruments are used in deep water with depths to 8,000 feet (2,440 meters).
5)Many advancements have been made in oil-drilling technology. The most advanced rotary cone rock bits presently available can
drill about 80 percent faster than bits from the 1920s.
6)Today's drills can reach down more than 30,000 feet (9,150 meters).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IG7L5lVoqy8
Also….
Modern offshore structures include (from left to right): 1 and 2 are conventional fixed platforms; 3 is a compliant
tower; 4 and 5 are vertically moored tension leg and mini-tension leg platforms; 6 is a spar platform; 7 and 8 are
semi-submersibles; 9 is a floating production and offloading facility; 10) sub-sea completion and tie-back to host
facility.
“Drill Baby Drill”
● C
—reates jobs
● Domestic fuel
● Environmentally friendly
● P
—rofitable
Jobs
Offshore oil rigs provide many types of jobs:
●Primary
●Secondary
●Refiners
Domestic fuel
● Offshore drilling helps the United States harvest rich deposits
of oil that are located on domestic soil.
● This reduces dependency on foreign oil and brings the cost
of oil down for the average American.
● Very expensive to drill offshore
● Expensive transportation fees are avoided as oil harvested
and refined domestically costs much less to transport.
Environmentally Friendly
● Offshore rigs are massive structures in the ocean that attract a wide variety
of marine life.
● Fish, birds and other sea creatures come to the rig and make it their home.
● The rig acts as an artificial reef that helps life flourish as many animals use
it for breeding.
● About 27% of our crude oil comes from offshore waters in present day.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6693280_benefits-offshore-drilling_.html
Profitable
●
By 2035, offshore oil development could produce an incremental 1.3 million barrels of oil
equivalent per day, generating nearly 280,000 jobs.
●
This would contribute up to $23.5 billion per year to the U.S. economy, and generate $51
billion in cumulative government revenue.
●
Most of the benefits would be accrued to states along the east coast but the economic impacts
would be felt throughout the U.S.
●
The amount of revenue accrued to state governments would
be dependent on legislated federal/state sharing
agreements.
http://www.themixoilandwater.com/2011/01/deepwater-discovery-today-fortomorrow.html
California supports offshore drilling
● Proposed to drill 50 miles off the shore
● Not drilling would be more dangerous than drilling
● Undersea pressure causes oil to seep through cracks in the sea floor.
● One six-mile stretch off the coast of Santa Barbara releases 240 barrels
of oil a day, equivalent to 87,000 barrels a year.
● Drilling will reduce the undersea pressure thereby reducing the amount
of seepage into the ocean.
Drawbacks (Offshore)
- Habitat destruction
- Creates pollution
- Regulations
http://alternativeenergy.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001255
Drawback Examples
1) In the BP oil spill, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil was pumped into the gulf of Mexico
for a total of 87 days, making it the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. 16,000 total miles of coastline
have been affected including the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
Oil is still washing up on shores.
2) The Exxon Valdez oil spill resulted in 10.8 million gallons. This oil spill killed over 250,000
animals. This oil spill is still considered one of the world’s worst oil spills in history taking it spot in
the top 50. The economic losses were totaled up to 31 million.
3) The Santa Barbara oil spill ended up spilling over 3 million gallons of crude oil. Hundreds of miles
of oceans were covered with thick crude oil along with over 35 miles of coastline. This oil spill led
to laws and regulations dealing with preserving the environment.
How does it affect us?
1) Oil spills destroy ecosystems and kill wildlife, but people’s health is directly affected too.
1) Oil is semi-volatile, which means that it can evaporate into the air and create a heavy vapor that stay
near the ground - in the human breathing zone. When winds whip up oily sea water, the spray
contains tiny droplets - basically a fume - of oil, which are small enough to be inhaled deep into the
lungs.
1) Oil contains petroleum hydrocarbons, which are toxic and irritating to the skin and airways, It also
contains volatile chemicals called VOCs, which can cause acute health effects such as headaches,
dizziness, and nausea. Over the long term, many of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, so
there are lots of reasons to worry about inhaling them.
What did we learn?
The bottom line is that when you drill for oil, there is always a risk that not only puts lives in the line, but
a risk that puts miles of coastline and the economy on the line as well.
There is no complete safe way to drill for oil offshore.
America has only 1.6% of the world’s oil supply, but we use 24% - so drilling is not much of a solution.
Bibliography
www.captainsvoyage-forum.com
www.behance.net
http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/
http://www.themixoilandwater.com/2011/01/deepwater-discovery-today-for-tomorrow.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6693280_benefits-offshore-drilling_.html
http://www.scienceclarified.com/Mu-Oi/Oil-Drilling.html#ixzz3KnGWhRqW
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/extremeoil/history/1850.html
http://www.history.com/topics/oil-industry
http://aoghs.org/offshore-history/offshore-oil-history/
http://www.counterspill.org/disaster/santa-barbara-oil-spill