Most of us know that the bulk of our domestic oil comes from offshore drilling, but most of us probably don’t know how much this industry has changed in recent years. Many technological advances have made offshore drilling better, safer, cheaper and faster.
One important aspect of how offshore drilling is managed today is through subsea deployment systems. These systems allow for drilling from the ocean floor, rather than a drilling platform sitting on top of the water. There are several advantages to this method, including:
Subsea deployment systems increase production, allowing drillers to get more oil from each well, increasing profits. These systems allow for greater pressure on the well because they are operated from the floor rather than the surface.
Subsea drilling allows for the possibility of continuing to extract oil from a well that has previously been harvested, or a well that is considered marginal in production capabilities.
Subsea processing also makes the process easier, by allowing for separation of sand from the oil on the ocean floor, rather than having to transport it back to the surface for separation.
Subsea deployment systems and subsea processing are a relatively new innovation in the oil industry, but have revolutionized the way oil is processed.
As the United States continues to reduce its dependency on foreign oil, innovations like subsea deployment systems and processing will continue to be important to the way the oil industry operates. Subsea engineering companies are continually pursuing new technologies that improve oil production capabilities.
Over the next few years, it’s likely that the industry will see even greater developments in efforts to make oil easier to process and methods that increase production from each oil field. Offshore drilling is an exciting industry that offers many opportunities and many innovations to help keep American oil production going strong.
