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Hi, Mr. Wells. I'm Jacob.

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Hello, Jacob.

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Can you tell me more about offshore oil exploration and production?

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Sure. This is the perfect spot.

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We are standing on the drill floor of the Ocean Star.

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Wow. This looks very interesting.

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What's the tower for?

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It's called a derrick.

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It has a pulley system for raising and lowering lengths of casing and drill pipe.

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Casings?

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Yes. Casing is steel pipe that forms the wall of the wellbore to ensure the stability of the well we've drilled.

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What happens next?

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Next, a drill bit is attached to the drill pipe, and the whole assembly rotates like a hand drill to cut the hole.

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I read about drill bits. They can cut through rock.

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That's right. Actually, they're specifically designed to just do that.

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As we rotate the drill pipe and the drill bit, it cuts up the rock,

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and we pump mud down the drill pipe to help bring the cuttings back to surface.

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Mud? You mean like water and dirt?

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Well, not exactly.

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This is a specialized drilling fluid we use to help cool the bit and bring the cuttings back to the surface.

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Do you always find oil when you drill?

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Unfortunately, not always.

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But through new technology, NASA satellite imaging, and seismic techniques,

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we've actually greatly increased our chances of finding oil.

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Once you find oil, how do you get it out of the ground?

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After removing the drill pipe and bit, production tubing is put into the wellbore.

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Then a perforating gun is used to make holes through the cement and casing so the oil can flow into the well.

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We're looking for a source of oil pollution in the ocean.

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Are there offshore oil rigs on the east coast of the United States?

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Actually, there aren't any. Most of them are in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Did you know on a worldwide basis, less than 3% of the oil pollution comes from offshore exploration and production operations?

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In fact, the ones that I've been involved in, it's little if any.

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Wow, that's not very much. Where does most of the oil pollution come from?

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Actually, in North American waters, greater than 60% comes from natural seepage.

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You mean it just bubbles up from the floor of the ocean?

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That's right. Once the oil moves up through the earth to the ocean floor, it just rises to the surface.

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Because oil is less dense than water.

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Very good. And the Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest natural sources of oil seepage in North America.

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It sounds like we need to learn more about oil seepage.

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That's a good idea. A marine geologist can help you learn more about the geology and topography of the ocean floor.

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Thanks, Mr. Wells.

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You're welcome.

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While you're here, let me show you more of the drilling rig.