The Decommissioning Of Oil Platforms And Its Affect On Marine Life

by: dominicdonaldson
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Word Count: 419

The options of reusing abandoned oil platforms and foundations of oil platforms that have been out of service have been discussed a lot in the last few decades. The decommissioning of oil platforms could provide scientists with research stations based on the abandoned oil platforms in the Golf of Mexico. This idea was explored and made promising results of marine research occurring at these platforms. This included the study of marine populations, coral reproduction, sea levels, oceanographic and meteorological information and other underwater observations. Other ideas that have been submitted to the use of these structures, after the decommissioning of oil platforms were the suggestion they were made into areas for power generation. Obviously this would be using far greener methods of power generation such as wind power and wave power. It has also been suggested in the past that the oil platforms should be made into search and rescue areas or centres for waste disposal. From a marine biologist's perspective, the best ideas concerning the oil platforms are those that want the project to be aimed at creating the decommissioned oil platforms into artificial reefs. Artificial reefs are seen as a very effective way of creating habitats for marine life that may have become lost otherwise. Many countries already use this method to encourage bio productivity but using decommissioned oil platforms is a greener benefit. The offshore structures would potentially draw in many species of migrating creatures, fishes that are searching for a place to shelter and reproduce. Observations of oil platforms in areas have shown to have a link to the amount of fish caught locally. This argument was often used in the past to imply that oil platforms were a positive impact on the environment. In the mid 1980's the phrase 'From rigs to reefs' was coined in relation to this. Despite this theory, it shouldn't be forgotten why the decommissioning of oil platforms is so important. Offshore oil platforms are a risk once they are abandoned. However once the offshore oil platforms are removed then this also decreases the populations of fish that rely on structures. The structures provide a home for marine organisms that rely on a hard surface as opposed to a soft sea bed. The elimination of structures in the sea can be connected within the last twenty years to the decline of reef fish. The oil platforms had served as an artificial habitat for marine life that otherwise would have been unable to thrive without the structure.

About the Author

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the engineering industry. Find out more about the Decommissioning Of Oil Platforms at http://www.urscorp.eu/markets/industrial_commercial/oil_and_gas.php

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