Historical Development of the Offshore Industry

Abstract

The oil and gas industry finds and develops offshore oil and gas fields in three major stages: exploration, drilling, and production. Specialized engineering is required and has been applied throughout each of these stages resulting in the industry's steady advance into deeper water and more challenging environments. The advances in engineering are best seen in the structures and technologies that have been applied in the vessels designed for use on and in the water, in the new materials developed to meet harsher conditions, and in the control systems developed to guide the flow of fluids from deep in the earth, through the water column, and into the platforms and floating production systems that gather and process the production, so it can be sent to market. The engineering challenges continue to evolve, and the solutions that are developed set the stage for industry's next advance into the ocean's depths.

Flash butt welding corrosion of mooring chains

“…Until that time, drilling systems were mounted on wooden piers, limiting the operation range to distances close to the coast [1]. Since then, offshore technology has made considerable progress to reach far away distances and deeper waters [2] as well as increase the number of operative platforms [3]. To ensure the proper functioning of the floating system it is crucial that the mooring systems are in optimal conditions, safeguarding performance, safety and environment.…”