The History of Offshore Drilling
From its beginnings in 1887 to its ability to be seen from space, the history of the offshore drilling industry has pioneered technologies, built the tallest structures on earth, been the subject of at least one movie, transformed the seabed of the earth's Continental Shelves into a manageable mineral resource and provided jobs and work for millions. Despite numerous problems, offshore drilling has prospered in its 122-year history.
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Beginnings
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In 1887, H.L. Williams built a 300-foot long wharf out into the Pacific from the beach near Summerland, Calif., and built a drilling rig on it. The idea caught on with local entrepreneurs, and wharves with drilling rigs blossomed along the West Coast, some stretching more than 1,200 feet into the Pacific.
True Offshore Drilling
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In 1947, the first fixed oil platform beyond the horizon -- far enough out that land couldn't be seen -- drilled wells for Kerr-McGee 11 miles off the Louisiana shore. By 1949, 11 oil fields operated in the Gulf of Mexico. The search for oil continued as 44 exploratory "try" wells were drilled that same year. In 1953, Universal Pictures produced the movie "Thunder Bay," starring James Stewart, chronicling the early years of the offshore industry.
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New Technology and Government Oversight
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In 1962, Shell Oil Company launched the first dynamically-positioned drill-ship, the "Eureka." In 1982, the U.S. Government designated the Minerals Management Service to oversee the leasing of offshore oil rights and monitor offshore production operations under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act.
Visible from Space
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Shallow water operations were the norm until 1996, when Royal Dutch Shell installed "Bullwinkle," the world's tallest structure at at 1,736 feet high, standing in 1,350 feet of water. Also in 1996, Shell launched "Troll," in Vats, Norway. "Troll" is not as tall, at 1,500 feet high, nor as deep, standing in 1,000 feet of water. However, "Troll" is one of the two man-made objects visible from the moon with the unaided eye, the other being the Great Wall of China.
Government Ban Expires
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In 1981, Congress passed the Outer Continental Shelf Moratorium, which banned the leasing of U.S. offshore waters on the outer continental shelf for fossil fuel development, but had no effect on existing operations. This ban did not disrupt the flow of oil or gas from offshore sources: 414 million barrels of crude oil were taken from offshore wells in 2006, along with 2.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The ban expired on Sept. 30, 2008.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Illustrations by the Author
