UNEARTHING OFFSHORE DRILLING

What is Offshore Drilling?

Offshore oil drilling is an oil extraction technique, which allows oil companies to access deposits of oil buried under the ocean floor.

Where did it begin?

Where Did it Begin?

Offshore drilling began in 1884 , off the shores of Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio

Drillers had been drilling on land for years but eventually the only land left was underwater

Why do we drill offshores?

Offshore drilling allows a country to access more oil than what is under land

Oil has been the main source of energy in the United States for over a century

9.8 million jobs are provided because of

the oil and gas industry

Offshore Drilling History

Offshore drilling began in the late 1800s and continued unregulated until 1969

In 1969 the very first major oil spill occurred in Santa Barbara, California

Then in the 1980’s offshore drilling became illegal in all areas of the United States accept the Gulf of Mexico and parts of Alaska

Deep-water Horizon

April 20th, 2010 the largest environmental disaster in history occurred in the Gulf of Mexico

The Deep-water Horizon oil rig blew up and leaked for three months, dumping 200 million gallons of crude oil into the waters

The explosion sadly killed 11 of the oil rig’s workers

Currently…

Nothing much has changed since the mid-1900’s