Offshore Drilling and Oil Platforms

Before a oil platform is buit, an oil and gas trap has to be located.  This drilling is usually done from a special ship equipped to drill.  It has special stabalizers and anchors to allow it to drill.  Even so it requires relatively calm conditions, so drilling can be a slow and expensive process.

Maritime Drilling Accidents

Drilling from a ship is dangerous because many conditions are uncontrollable.  Drilling accidents are an unfortunate reality.  Often there are time pressures.  In fact, there is always and struggle between deadlines and safety.  Offshore oil exploration campanies face hugh captial outlays and going past deadlines can sink their financial ship.  So pressure to keep on schedule is high in these types of jobs.  Sometimes safety is compromised and accidents happen.  Martime law does little to help on a practical basis.

Diamond  Mining

I recommend you visit the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association for more details on maritime diamond drilling.

Precious Metal Mining Companies

This is a whole word to itself so I will just give you a list of company websites I recommend you visit to get yourself familiar with mining of precious metals:

• Barrick Gold Corporation
• Rio Tinto Group
• Anglo American plc
• BHP Billiton
• Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

Drilling Rigs

Different drilling rigs can do different types of drilling.  Here is a list and links to where you can get more info:

• drilling rigs
• horizontal directional drilling
• offshore drilling
• directional drilling

Offshore Oil & Petroleum Products

Everything from plastic hockey sticks to edible oil is a by-product of petroleum.  Gas for cars.  The list is endless.  Without offshore oil and gas products our world would be radically different.