Deepwater drilling,[1] or Deep well drilling,[2] is the process of oil and gas exploration. There are approximately 600 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico with depths of more than 500 feet. This is an enormous problem when a well needs fixing.[3]
It has been technologically and economically infeasible for many years, but with rising oil prices, more companies are investing in this area.[4] Major companies working in this sector includeDiamond Offshore, TransOcean, and Baker Hughes.
Recent industry analysis by Visiongain has estimated that the total expenditure in the global deepwater infrastructure market would reach $145bn in 2011.[5]
There are basically two kinds of mobile deepwater drilling rigs: semi-submersible drilling rigs and drillships. Drilling can also be performed from a fixed-position installation such as a floating spar platform (or tension-leg platform).
- “Not all oil is accessible on land or in shallow water. You can find some oil deposits buried deep under the ocean floor.” …Using sonic equipment, oil companies determine the drilling sites most likely to produce oil. Then they use a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) to dig the initial well. Some units are converted into production rigs, meaning they switch from drilling for oil to capturing oil once it's found. Most of the time, the oil company will replace the MODU with a more permanent oil production rig to capture oil.” …The MODU's job is to drill down into the ocean's floor to find oil deposits. The part of the drill that extends below the deck and through the water is called the riser. The riser allows for drilling fluids to move between the floor and the rig. Engineers lower a drill string -- a series of pipes designed to drill down to the oil deposit -- through the riser.” [6]
