How does the world's largest oil rig work?

Everyone from galley hand to ballast engineers work together to keep the rig running. Through their efforts, up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day are pumped up from 18,000 feet below the seafloor, processed, and sent another 82 miles to shore. Check out the video below of what life is like on Hebron, another of the world’s largest oil rigs!

Where are oil rigs located?

Even the North Sea, which endures nearly constant inclement weather, is currently home to many offshore drilling sites [source: The Guardian]. Today's oil rigs are truly gigantic structures. Some are basically floating cities, employing and housing hundreds of people.

Do oil rigs make the World Go Round?

Today's oil rigs are basically floating cities, employing and housing hundreds of people. Terry Vine / Getty Images Some people say money makes the world go round. Others insist the key ingredient is love or even music.

Are offshore oil rigs worth it?

Once the exploratory drilling phase is over and geologists have determined that a petroleum reservoir is worth the massive expense, oil companies prepare to establish an offshore production platform. These rigs are designed to last decades, often far from land and in some of the most hostile waters on Earth.

What's it like working on an oil rig?

After all, work on an oil rig continues day and night, with employees working rotating schedules of daytime and nighttime shifts. Helicopters and ships bring in most of the necessary materials for day-to-day life on an oil rig, often through choppy weather conditions. Oil rigs aren't all Jacuzzis and cafeterias, though.

Should offshore rigs be reduced?

Offshore rigs are expensive to run and at low prices and low demand, it makes more sense to reduce offshore output and get oil from onshore sources. In short, onshore production is more flexible. However, in the longer term oil prices will likely even back out and offshore drilling will be productive.