Shell's Perdido platform in the U.S. Gulf. (photo: . Shell / Flickr)
Aug 19, 2012
As the world continues its addiction to oil, "ultra-deep" wells -- those drilled 1.5 km (4,500 feet) deep or more -- are now at historic levels with no signs of abating, Reutersreports.
The players in the deepwater game include the big oil names of BP, Chevron and Royal Dutch/Shell, which operates the deepest offshore well, nearly three kilometers under the U.S. Gulf.
Using data from rigzone.com, Reuters reports that "more than 80 rigs on contract now have the ability to work in ocean depths of more than 7,500 feet."
Undeterred by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, "BP launched this year a project it calls 20K - aimed at the next generation of even deeper, higher pressure, higher temperature wells at pressures of more than 20,000 psi," referring to the water pressure measured in pounds per square inch (psi).
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As the world continues its addiction to oil, "ultra-deep" wells -- those drilled 1.5 km (4,500 feet) deep or more -- are now at historic levels with no signs of abating, Reutersreports.
The players in the deepwater game include the big oil names of BP, Chevron and Royal Dutch/Shell, which operates the deepest offshore well, nearly three kilometers under the U.S. Gulf.
Using data from rigzone.com, Reuters reports that "more than 80 rigs on contract now have the ability to work in ocean depths of more than 7,500 feet."
Undeterred by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, "BP launched this year a project it calls 20K - aimed at the next generation of even deeper, higher pressure, higher temperature wells at pressures of more than 20,000 psi," referring to the water pressure measured in pounds per square inch (psi).
As the world continues its addiction to oil, "ultra-deep" wells -- those drilled 1.5 km (4,500 feet) deep or more -- are now at historic levels with no signs of abating, Reutersreports.
The players in the deepwater game include the big oil names of BP, Chevron and Royal Dutch/Shell, which operates the deepest offshore well, nearly three kilometers under the U.S. Gulf.
Using data from rigzone.com, Reuters reports that "more than 80 rigs on contract now have the ability to work in ocean depths of more than 7,500 feet."
Undeterred by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, "BP launched this year a project it calls 20K - aimed at the next generation of even deeper, higher pressure, higher temperature wells at pressures of more than 20,000 psi," referring to the water pressure measured in pounds per square inch (psi).
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.