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The exploration of oil in the outer continental ring of the United States has probably caused more oil spills than any other place in the world, which is extremly unfortunate as it houses unique marine life, not see in in many other parts of the world This 200 mile stretch of oceans, from US Geographical borders, declared unilaterally as its soveriegn property in 1945 by the U.S. has today over 40 active deep drilling mining leases issued by MMS for oil and gas exploration.The total oil produced from this shelf due to all offshore projects will be equal to slightly more than 2 years of U.S. consumption of 25 million barrels per day. The controversy and contamination that deep sea drilling generates possibly far exceeds the revenue as well employment generation potential it has.
Deep-sea water drilling poses several challenges that are to be addressed by the Governments around the world, in consultation with marine life activists and the oil companies, in a race to exploit resources. Some of the challenges are fairly obvious like to keep the seas clean. Others like how to do it are fairly complex for it involves several critical technical issues that can be monitored only with the help of the oil companies who execute the mining and exploration leases.
Why ? Because under the sea at depths below 1000 feet the waters reach nearly freezing temperatures, and are at high pressures great enough to crack iron casings and are subject to rough seas,high winds and deep-sea currents.
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/images/temperature_depth_jpg_image.html
You have to design equipment that can stand up to the pressure,and the extreme cold temperature on the outside while also prevent boiling oil from hot, underground depths from cooling to a solid form and rupturing pipes when it emerges into the chilly ocean environment. While chemical antifreezes have played an important part in ensuring this thus far, and manages the exploration of oil, there must be a procedure to ensure that the extraction is subject to some pre-set quality barriers that need to be controlled and inspected from time to time to ensure transparency and cleanliness of the high seas.
For this some system verification tests and operational risk prevention measures must be provided by the exploration company at their costs to validate their lease on a year to year basis. This must include simulation tanks at the control centers open to public viewing and development of a boring and drilling test procedures as per a internationally accepted code, so that individual companies like BP can never take short cuts in an attempt to cut costs
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