Offshore and onshore oil and gas drilling refer to the location of the facility and is one of the main differences between the two. Here’s how they differ.
Breaking through layers of the earth’s surface to reach hydrocarbon resources is the process of drilling for oil. Drilling takes place offshore beneath the seabed and onshore beneath the earth’s subsoil.
OffShore Drilling in Oil and Gas Industry
Offshore drilling is carried out in a remote area over the sea. Operators drill as deep as 12,000 feet beneath the ocean floor. These wells are dug utilizing thin steel pipes connected to other equipment to form a drill sting. Each pipe is approximately 30 feet long, and more pipes are added to the drill string as the well is dug deeper.
Offshore drilling is great for the economy.
According to a study by Quest Offshore Resources, if restrictions were lifted and reserves were opened up offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, there could be an opportunity for more than 200,000 jobs by the year 2035.
Aside from job possibilities, offshore drilling also diminishes the reliance on foreign resources for fuel. This helps drive down the cost of gas that the average consumer uses on a daily basis.
Offshore drilling presents a larger risk to the environment.
We’ve all seen the news stories about a huge oil spill in the ocean. Sadly, that is simply the risk that facilities take when they move their sites offshore for work. Yes, onshore fracking does have environmental issues, but currently, the facts in the oil and gas industry are that onshore facilities are taking steps that will hopefully help preserve local environments where natural gas and oil production are taking place.
OnShore Drilling in Oil and Gas Industry
Onshore drilling takes place on land, not in the sea. The rigs are brought in by ground transportation, and frequently more than one well is drilled from the same location, quite close to another, by adjusting the rig slightly. Different onshore drilling profiles include:
- Deep to shallow wells
- Long-reach to ultra-long-reach wells
- From deviated wells vertically
Onshore drilling is cost-effective.
While there are, in fact, some economic benefits to offshore drilling, the hard facts are that it could take years for a site to actually get a drilling facility set up in the middle of the ocean. This alone takes a big chunk out of facility budgets. With onshore drilling, shale is readily available, and equipment can easily be moved from site to site with the help of skids and other resources that make drilling sites flexible and mobile. This cuts down on the shipping and installation costs that would otherwise be much higher for an offshore project.
Onshore simply provides greater production results.
The truth is that onshore production is a method that gives the oil and gas sector fantastic results. This is because resources are simply more abundant on land. Currently, 70% of the world’s oil and gas production takes place on land, with the remaining 30% occurring offshore.
Conclusion
Onshore means on land. In the oil and gas industry, any exploration and production work done on land with land equipment is said to be onshore.
Offshore means off land. which means on the water. Any exploration and production work done on water with marine equipment is then said to be offshore.
shore = land
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