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MODULE 1
OFFSHORE PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGIES IN GENERAL AND FOR
PRODUCTION

LECTURE 1 FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE OIL

AND GAS DEPOSITS

PROGRAM QUESTIONS:

World practice for production hydrocarbons from the shelf zone.

Classification of water depths.

Largest Offshore Oil Rig Spills

1.1 World practice for production hydrocarbons from the shelf zone
Intensive activities for exploration and exploitation of the oceans, especially

the growing demand for hydrocarbons, led to the development of a wide range of
offshore structures during the last decades. These activities are expanded

worldwide in permanently increasing sea-areas and in greater water depths.
The variety of offshore structures concerning the function, size, geometrical

configuration and material selection as well as the variability of the environmental

factors complicate the development of a unique design procedure. Therefore, the

separate investigation of the interaction between the actual structure and the

environment is necessary.

On the other hand, offshore structures must have an acceptable margin of

safety during all phases of their life, i.e. construction, transportation,

installation, operation and retrieval.

The world's first commercial oil well was drilled in Poland in 1853, the first

oil well in North America was in Ontario, Canada in 1858, and the first US oil well

was established in 1859 near Titusville, PA. The petroleum industry grew through
th
the 1800s, and became a leading international industry as the 20 century
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