Oil companies return to the Gulf of Mexico
Two years after the BP oil spill, drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico is growing again. It may soon reach the levels that it was at before the spill, according to OilPrice.com.
In this August 2010 file photo, tugs slowly move the Noble Frontier Driller into port at Signal East Shipyard in Pascagoula Ms. The Nobel Frontier was one of dozens of deepwater rigs that were forced into port because of the Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium. Oil companies are attracted to the Gulf of Mexico mainly due to the stable political environment and clear regulations, Burgess writes.
Rusty Costanza/The Times Picayune/AP/File
Following the infamous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2010, all deepwater drilling in the area was shut down, and the whole sector was sent into chaos. However now, according to GlobalData, drilling in the US Gulf of Mexico is starting to grow again, and may soon reach the levels that it was at before the spill.
The study performed by GlobalData suggests that despite the increased restrictions placed upon oil companies working in the Gulf of Mexico, and the high risks and costs involved in deep-water drilling, companies are increasing operations in the area due to the high oil prices. (RELATED: Oil Prices Dive 5% on Speculation and Mystery)
In the first quarter of 2012 the US government issued 44 drilling permits for the area, compared to just 74 and 79 for the whole of 2010 and 2011 respectively. This growth will see drilling operations return to pre-2010 levels by the end of the year.
Oil companies are attracted to the Gulf of Mexico mainly due to the stable political environment and clear regulations. Operations in oil fields in other parts of the world are constantly under threat from changing regimes, and local unrest. However in February of this year the US and Mexican governments signed an agreement which set a clear framework for the exploration and extraction of oil in the Gulf. (RELATED: Shell to Build the World's First Ever Floating LNG Plant)
Major international oil companies dominate deepwater drilling in the Gulf due to the necessity for high technological expertise, the high set up costs, and the potential multi-billion dollar liability rick if anything bad goes wrong. Of the 44 licenses that were granted, BP received 13, and Chevron 14.
Source: http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Companies-Race-Back-to-the-Gulf-of-Mexico.html