The Benefits of Living and Working on Offshore Oil Rigs
The world as we know it depends on oil to work certain industrial and residential operations. The oil that we use is taken from two places. These are land based oil fields and from the ocean. The oil producing plants which are located on the oceans are called offshore oil rigs. The name itself describes the work that is carried out.
The offshore part means quire simply that the work is carried out in the ocean waters. The oil rigs can be found in shallow waters (300 feet) or deeper waters. The legs of the rigs hold the working platform above the water’s surface. The oil rig part of the name is the platform where the machinery and equipment are found.
As these offshore oil rigs are located at a fair distance from the nearest land the oil rig needs to be able to support the needs of the workers. From this reason there is an electrical plant that generates the power which is required for all of the work. The larger oil rigs will have a desalination plant to purify the salt water that is converted to fresh water for cooking, drinking and, washing and cleaning purposes.
There will be a treatment plant that is located on these offshore oil rigs. The treatment plant will safely dispose of the various wastes that accumulate as the oil crews and their equipment continue the search for and drilling of oil on the oceans floor bed. To make sure that the drilling crew lives well while they are working on the offshore oil rigs there are very comfortable living quarters.
These quarters have the comforts of a four star hotel. In some cases the living quarters are located at a distance from the oil rig itself. This is done so that the crew is less exposed to the dangers that can occur from the oil and the machinery catching fire. This however is as dangerous for the crew as the offshore oil rigs are during a severe storm at sea.
Despite these tragedies oil companies make every effort to ensure the safety of their drill teams. As part of the remuneration package which may be offered by offshore oil rigs is the full traveling expenses for the crew which are covered by the rig owner. The working day shifts are not too long. There are times when the crew shift will last for about 14 days of hard work. The free vacation period is 21 days long.
While living and working on offshore oil rigs can be very hard and difficult there are benefits to be found. The work which is performed on these rigs is one of the reasons why the world’s oil production is able to meet its production costs.
By : Muna wa Wanjiru
Oil Drilling and the Election
So you think the politicians are pushing the Offshore Drilling idea because it is something that will make the price of gas go down? I guess you also believed that in the 2004 election, that this Administration was going to do something about Gay Marriage? The reality of what this Offshore drilling talk as ONLY about is a hot button issue to get people to vote a certain way. After they are in office do you think anyone is going to be so stupid as to drill for oil off the coasts of California or Florida? It is not going to happen!
You have to understand that the price of oil is all about the market. India, China, Thailand, Malaysia are coming on-line and using more and more petroleum everyday increasing market demand and decreasing available supplies. Drilling off-shore is not going to change that. Just for argument sake, let’s say we start drilling for domestic oil. OK, we get more oil. The price of oil is based on the global market pricing. Do you think that if we had a local surplus of oil, which by the way is never going to happen no matter how many holes we put in the ground, that the oil companies are not going to sell that surplus to the highest bidder no matter where that could be?! Of course they will They are a company in business to make money. Will it bring down the price of oil to do more drilling? Of course not. It just allows the oil companies to get more oil to sell and make more money. Now you have Florida and California beaches that have a nice film of escaped oil on them. So much for the tourism economies of these two states!
It is just not going to happen! These guys are just pushing people’s buttons to get them to do something that is actually against their better interests. It reminds me of when I was back in grade school. The class Smartelic would mess with the kids that were easily upset over petty little things that aren’t true or don’t’ really matter. We are supposed to be grown up now. Let’s act like it. Wouldn’t it be better if there was more talk about important issues like getting out of Iraq, taking care of Guantanamo, and getting a handle on the mortgage crisis?
What should we do with oil companies windfall profits and tax breaks? Since these companies have sweet heart deals with the U.S. Government to get their tax breaks, we need to renegotiate these deals so that if they want the tax breaks, they have to give back as well. Whenever they have windfall profits, they should be required to use that money to do research and development into alternative energy resources.
So when it comes time to vote, please remember what you read here and understand the truth of the matter. This is a “hot button” issue and that is all it is. Please vote for what is good for YOU. This issue has everything to do with Oil companies and their profits. Not your profit!
By : Michael DeVries
Offshore Oil Drilling Labor
Natural oil and its by-products are perceived as valuable commodities across the world. Obtaining this high demand commodity from reservoirs where it has collected deep within the earth proves to be an inexact and demanding undertaking. Adding to the challenge of the oil drilling industry, no concrete methods have been discovered for accurately determining the location of oil deposits. The only way to know for certain if a location contains oil is to actually drill into the ground at the risk of a costly disappointment. What’s more, offshore drilling facilities must reach into the depths of the earth underneath the floor of the ocean using specialized industrial equipment to extract oil. Nonetheless, successful offshore oil drilling operations are set up at the locations of producing reservoirs throughout the world.
Oil drilling operations originally took place only on land. Next shallow water drilling evolved, and eventually extensive equipment made offshore deep ocean drilling feasible. Since oil forms from the remains of ancient sea life under intense heat and pressure for millions of years, the ocean bottom is a desirable site for oil exploration. For marine oil and natural gas drilling, offshore oil platforms are set up in the ocean above the location that is to be drilled. Platforms can be anchored to the ocean floor, float on the surface or create an artificial island in the sea.
Laborers who work on offshore oil drilling rigs typically spend weeks at a time at sea living either on the platform or in a nearby anchored ship. Many oil platforms contain amenities similar to those in hotels such as a means of eating, places for sleeping and laundry facilities which allow workers to reside on the rig for extended periods of time. A schedule is typically arranged such that workers stay offshore and work with members of their team for a specified number of days, then return to shore for another specified number of days. For instance, a common schedule is for a worker to stay offshore for fourteen days, and then return home for fourteen to twenty one days at a time. Anyone considering employment on an offshore rig should assess his or her ability to meet the physical demands inherent to the job as well as whether a career with extended time away from home is a suitable lifestyle. Offshore oil jobs can facilitate lucrative careers for fitting individuals.
By : Bob Jent