On April 20, 2010, an and fire occurred on the , which was owned and operated by and drilling for in the about 40 miles (64 km) southeast off the coast. The explosion and subsequent fire resulted in the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon and the deaths of 11 workers.
[pdf] The Gulf is home to more than 3,500 offshore oil and gas structures, though only a small number are active drilling sites. For the men and women working on these platforms, the risks are constant.
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As of June 2010, there were over 620 mobile offshore drilling rigs (jackups, semisubs, drillships, barges, etc.) available for service in the worldwide offshore rig fleet. .
Offshore drilling is a mechanical process where a is drilled below the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently extract that lies in rock formations beneath the. .
Offshore drilling is usually done from platforms generically known as mobile offshore drilling units (MODU), which can be of one of several. .
Offshore oil and gas production is more challenging than land-based installations due to the remote and harsher environment. Much of the innovation in the offshore petroleum. .
Offshore oil production involves environmental risks, most notably from oil tankers or pipelines transporting oil from the platform to onshore facilities, and from leaks and accidents on the platform (e.g. and .
Around 1891, the first submerged oil wells were drilled from platforms built on piles in the fresh waters of the in . The wells were developed by small local. .
Notable offshore fields include:• the • the (offshore , , , and )• (in the and , part of the Ventura Basin) .
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