Retired GOM Oil Platforms Offer Potential Homes for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Seawater Mineral Mining, Seaweed/Macroalgae for Energy-Feedstock and Other Sustainable Options The U.S. oil industry is retiring about 175 offshore production platforms each year, far outstripping the count of new rigs. Most of those retiring platforms have been…
Kent Satterlee, III, is executive director of the Gulf Offshore Research Institute (GORI). The Mission of GORI is to provide access to offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico for conducting marine monitoring, energy and environmental research, science education and training (MMEERSET). The MMEERSET station(s) will enable real-time data and communication toward the goal of enhancing the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and its benefits to the coastal region.
GORI is working to repurpose offshore platforms for energy and marine-related purposes such as CCS, ocean energy and hydrogen, offshore multi-trophic aquaculture, and harvesting of rare earth minerals. For more information, visit www.gulfoffshoreresearch.com.
Oil and gas operations are commonly found in remote locations far from company headquarters. Now, it's possible to monitor pump operations, collate and analyze seismic data, and track employees around the world from almost anywhere. Whether employees are in the office or in the field, the internet and related applications enable a greater multidirectional flow of information – and control – than ever before.