These countries then export their oil to other nations such as India and China , benefiting economically as a result.
The high rate of consumption of crude oil requires a high rate of supply. In order to fulfill this requirement, major oil companies have long relied on the process of offshore drilling. The process of offshore drilling begins by surveying the sea bed using underwater sound waves . The behavior of the sound can give an idea of the structure of the rock, properties of the rock and whether or not hydrocarbons are present . An exploratory drilling is then carried out to confirm the information provided by the surveying . The oil company then decided whether not they would like to set up a development there. Since, offshore drilling is costly it would only be economical for the company to drill there if the reservoir of oil is substantial. If the decision is made to drill there, then a drilling platform is set up and a drill bit begins cutting into the rock bed. After creating a well 60-1200m deep a casing is inserted in order to keep the rock from caving in, as well as to contain any high pressure gases or liquids. After this, drilling resumes for up to nine months, until the crude oil reservoir is reached. Being that crude oil is a fossil fuel, it is plentiful in the rocks of the sea bed, however the process of offshore drilling used to extract the oil has many negative side effects.
Oceans and seas are home to many forms of marine life. However, the natural state of their environment is greatly disrupted by offshore drilling. The extraction of oil from the sea floor releases many harmful materials and particles into the water. One such substance is drill mud, which consists of mainly clay, water or mineral oil and chemical additives. Mud is used to lubricate the drill bit, contain pressure as well as serves to push any rock chips or other drill fragments to the surface.
