Hundreds of oil platforms in the ocean around the world are nearing the end of their useful lives. The problem is that what happens to these giant structures could impact the environment. There are about 12,000 oil platforms scattered beneath the ocean floor that were built to extract oil and gas. In the next ten years, many of them will reach the end of their useful lives as the wells run out of reserves or are no longer profitable.
Advertising
Energy companies use loud air guns to create seismic maps to find oil and gas deposits. These platforms are enormous. For example, the Bullwinkle platform in the Gulf of Mexico is taller than the Empire State Building and almost twice as big as the Eiffel Tower. The platforms can also provide housing for workers and withstand hurricanes. The steel materials can be recycled, sent to landfills, or, in rare cases, buried in the deep ocean.
