Offshore drilling means getting resources, such as oil and natural gas, from areas near the shore. Most often this means ocean coast lines. But there is also such drilling in lakes and seas.
The first offshore drilling took place in Baku in the late 1800’s. Around that time Russia, who controlled the country, auctioned off oil rights to make money. Drilling here accounted for half the world’s oil by 1900. After the communist revolution in Russia and WW1, turmoil in the area interfered with further oil extraction.
Today many coastal areas host offshore drilling. New fields have been identified off the east and west coasts of the United States.
In 1981 the US Congress placed a ban on offshore drilling off the east and west coasts of the country. Congress often discusses removing or at least relaxing those bans. They aren’t enforced outside the United States. Other countries are now in International waters off the US coast, seeking oil. One of these is Venezuela with China’s help.
There are issues to face with offshore drilling. The first of these is keeping a rig above sea level. The rigs are set up on legs. They still have to be mobile, which is a challenge. Some rigs simply float. They cost less but are hazardous to maintain. The danger lies in that they are constantly shifted by waves.
Pressure on the drill head is another issue for offshore drilling. Also the sand has to be moved from the area. More and more operations now do this at the ocean floor, or simply pump the sand and oil to shore prior to separation.
There are also human issues with offshore drilling. It requires that people live on the rigs for extended periods. The rig is essentially a town. Extended shifts are two weeks. A premium must be paid to workers to entice them to maintain that schedule.
Offshore drilling is here to stay. It will increase as more oil is needed power the world.
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