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About 80 miles off the Louisiana coast, 100,000 metric tons of steel stands as a testament to the aspirations of the oil and gas sector. This large structure, owned by Shell and known as Appomattox, serves as a gathering point for oil and gas obtained from wells deep beneath the seafloor. The harvested fuel is then piped to the shore.
Despite increasing calls from corporate and political leaders to cut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, companies like Shell are investing in the belief that oil and gas will still be a vital resource for many years. These enterprises are digging deeper into the Gulf of Mexico for more offshore oil and gas reserves. According to industry reports, offshore drilling could potentially aid in mitigating climate change because these operations reportedly produce considerably fewer greenhouse gases compared to land-based drilling.
Even though emissions related to offshore drilling are reportedly lower, climate scientists and environmental activists are increasingly concerned about the continued reliance on oil and gas. They demand a quicker transition towards renewable energy resources like solar, wind and electric vehicles to help combat climate change.
Shell CEO, Wael Sawan, asserts that even in 2050 the world will still require oil, although with progressively lower emissions. He forecasts that production in the Gulf of Mexico will continue to boom, following a trend of increasing U.S. oil production still relatively undisrupted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010–– the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
Environmental activists caution that offshore oil exploration poses considerable risks, as exemplified by the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon spill which resulted in devastating damages to marine life, the fishing industry, and the Gulf of Mexico’s beaches.
In an attempt to prevent such disasters, the Biden administration attempted to scale back on the leasing of land for oil drilling. However, these plans were halted by the U.S. Court of Appeals in November 2021. In response, oil companies bid $382 million to secure drilling rights.
Despite the risks, companies like Shell continue to expand their offshore operations, with Shell operating nine active platforms in the Gulf of Mexico alone. These platforms, with a total capacity for hundreds of engineers, janitors, cooks and laundry operators, extract and process oil and natural gas from the ocean floor.
Despite the environmental debate surrounding it, workers on these offshore platforms remain proud of their industry, although they acknowledge its harmful impact on the planet.
The growing offshore industry also sees BP, Chevron and other energy giants expanding their operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The energy companies are investing heavily in technology to optimise offshore drilling and minimize environmental impact. Further, the area offers an already established network of pipelines and equipment to efficiently facilitate extraction.
However, the expansion of offshore drilling raises concerns among climate experts who argue that this drifts away from recent investments in renewable energy by the oil giants, particularly the European based ones.
While the Shell CEO insists that the company should concentrate on fields it excels in, including oil, natural gas, and hydrogen, he does not dismiss the possibility of Shell expanding into newer aspects of the energy sector such as electric vehicle charging. He also strongly suggests for a multi-dimensional approach to energy transition, needing contributions from both fossil fuels and renewable sources.
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