Risk Taking Rises as Oil Rigs in Gulf Drill Deeper
in Subject: Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science, American History
Key Term: Gulf of Mexico, Deep sea drilling, Petroluem
Story Type: In the News
Topic: Water, Energy, Geography, Environmental Health, Project-Based Learning, Gardening
Key Term: Gulf of Mexico, Deep sea drilling, Petroluem
Story Type: In the News
Topic: Water, Energy, Geography, Environmental Health, Project-Based Learning, Gardening
In a remote reach of the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 200 miles from shore, a floating oil platform thrusts its tentacles deep into the ocean like a giant steel octopus.
The $3 billion rig, called Perdido, can pump oil from dozens of wells nearly two miles under the sea while simultaneously drilling new ones. It is part of a wave of ultra-deep platforms — all far more sophisticated than the rig that was used to drill the ill-fated BP well that blew up in April. These platforms have sprung up far from shore and have pushed the frontiers of technology in the gulf, a region that now accounts for a quarter of the nation’s oil output.
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