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Construction and Drilling (more...)

Once surveying is complete, the vast amounts of data are analyzed and potential targets are identified. Exploratory drilling is then authorized at specific sites with the goal of obtaining more physical evidence and additional data to support target assessments. If exploratory drilling proves successful, construction of production platforms or facilities commences. Throughout all of these stages, a rigorous regulatory framework is established to oversee license/permit approvals, financing arrangements, environmental impact assessments and sub-contracting of various support tasks to facilitate all aspects of offshore operations. Significant infrastructure development may also be required depending on the scale of operations.

Construction and Drilling	- despite new technologies that have reduced the expenses associated with drilling wells, the cost to drill offshore is still at least $30-100 million which is significantly higher than drilling on land
	- step one is to put a conduction pipe down into the sea bed to guide drilling and to contain drilling fluid ("mud")
	- completed sections of the well core are cased with steel pipe that are cemented into place
	- attached to the top of the casing is a blowout preventer
	- drilling grinds up the rock into small chunks which are brought to the surface along with the drilling mud
	- during exploration drilling these chunks of cut rock ("cuttings") are examined by a geologist who is watching for signs of oil and gas
Logging and Coring	- during the stage of exploratory drilling, long core samples of each of the rock layers of interest are also taken
	- analyses of these cores, along with the results from special devices lowered down into the well to measure various parameters, help to determine if conditions are favourable for producing commercially viable amounts of hydrocarbons
	- if not, the well is capped and called a "dry hole"

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