Deep sea oil recovery

It is noted that one-third of the world oil production will come from beneath the seas by 1980, when oil consumption will more than double the present daily rate of 40 million bbl. To date, the oil industry has drilled and put into production some 10,000 wells in shallow coastal waters. Currently, there is no economic means for maintaining individual wells and flow lines during the producing lives of deep-sea oil fields. The need for new oil reserves has already accelerated offshore oil efforts in water depths beyond the technical and economic capabilities of fixed platforms and existing diving systems. Three basic undersea work systems now being studied by the oil industry are: (1) surface control; (2) submersible (one-atmosphere vehicles and work stations; and (3) man-in-the-sea (divers, bells, and habitats). Subsea satellites, built with wellhead legs and tended by free-swimming subs, are being developed by North American Rockwell and Mobil Oil. A submersible work chamber will be lowered into place on a guide base which will move along rails of a sea-floor template designed by Deep Oil Technology. Shirtsleeve environment will be provided for the capsule's crew who may transfer into manifold or wellhead cellars of a system proposed by more » Lockheed. The system proposed by Lockheed uses the manned capsule to service a central manifold and special cellars located at different wells. « less