Offshore Oil and Gas Around the World

Information that deals with international offshore oil and gas is housed in this section. Use the topic headings to guide your search.

Overview

75% of the earth's surface is covered by oceans so it is no surprise that as onshore oil and gas reserves are depleted that exploration and production has extended into offshore basins that fringe the world's continents.  Today ~ 60% of the world's petroleum production comes from offshore operations in waters of more than half the coastal nations on earth, including Canada.

To meet energy demand operations are moving into ever deeper waters and today oil and gas is produced off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico in over 8,000 feet of water.  A description of 126 ongoing offshore projects around the world can be found at www.offshore-technology.com.

Offshore oil has been produced off Canada's east coast since 1992 with production from the Cohasset/Panuke Field (COPAN) located 41 km southwest of Sable Island off Nova Scotia. This field produced from 1992 to 1999, resulting in a total of 44.5 million barrels of light crude.  An excellent overview of the history of offshore oil & gas exploration and development in the Scotian Basin and offshore Nova Scotia can be found at Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada ( 555 KB). 

The Hibernia field on the Grand Banks, 315 km SSE of St. John's Newfoundland began production in 1997 and currently produces about 314,000 barrels/day of light crude in conjunction with the Terra Nova project.  Total oil production from Hibernia and Terra Nova fields was 115 million barrels in 2004, and as of May 2006 the White Rose project has added 100,000 barrels per day of production.  In 2005 Newfoundland accounted for 12% of Canada's crude oil & equivalent production.  In 2004, the oil industry spent $1.33 billion in the province and directly employed 5,572 person years in development, production and services to production.

Gas from the Sable Project off the coast of Nova Scotia began flowing in 1999 and natural gas production averages over 400 million cubic feet per day.  The project is expected to have a production life of up to 25 years and royalty payments to the province estimated to total between $1.6 and  $2.3 billion in this time.

Major discoveries have also been made in the Beaufort Sea off Canada's Arctic shore in the Northwest Territories. These finds are awaiting construction of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline to bring the gas to market.

Environment

• Health, Safety and Environmental Issues Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by Statoil, November, 2002. ( 7.8MB)
• Oil and Gas Development from an Environmental Perspective Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, November, 2002. (2.2MB)

Regulatory Regime

• 2006 Offshore Great South Basin - New Zealand Petroleum. The Great South Basin will shortly be opened for a blocks offer, May 2006.
• Offshore Oil and Gas Approvals in Atlantic Canada British Columbia Offshore Hydrocarbon Development: Report of the Scientific Review Panel, Vol. II Appendix 5, January 2002. ( 349 KB)
• Regulatory Regime Offshore Oil and Gas Technology Update, Chapter 2.0, October 2001. ( 146KB)

Science

• California - An Analogue to Queen Charlotte Basin? British Columbia Offshore Hydrocarbon Development: Report of the Scientific Review Panel, Vol. II Appendix 9, January 2002. ( 2.7MB)
• Comparison of Queen Charlotte Basin Petroleum Situation with Other Offshore Basins British Columbia Offshore Hydrocarbon Development: Report of the Scientific Review Panel, Vol. II Appendix 7, January 2002. ( 725KB)
• Marine Seismic Acquisition Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by Fugro Geoscience, November, 2002. ( 966KB)
• Oil and Gas Development from an Environmental Perspective Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of Norway, November, 2002. ( 175KB)

Social and Economic

• Economics of Newfoundland & Labrador's Offshore Oil Industry: Separating Fact from Myth This report provides data and economic analysis to help inform public understanding and debate.  It was prepared by Dr. Wade Locke from the Memorial University of Newfoundland for the NOIA Annual Conference in early 2006. ( 176KB)
• Global Industry with Regional Significance-Social Perspectives. This report provides a picture of the importance of the offshore oil and gas industry to Norway.  It was prepared by the Norwegian Oil Industry Association and published in July 2005. ( 3.18MB)
• Petroleum Industry Transforms Provincial Economy. The Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRAC) has released a study documenting how the oil and gas industry is transforming the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador, December, 2005. ( 32KB)
• Socio/Economic Considerations Offshore Oil and Gas Technology Update, Chapter 7.0, October 2001. ( 192KB)
• Doing Business in a Strictly Regulated Sector Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by Norsk Hydro, November, 2002. ( 5.1MB).
• High Technology, Technology Transfer and the Establishment of a Local Supply Industry Presentation  at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by FMC Energy Systems, November, 2002. ( 2.2MB)
• Impact of Oil and Gas Development on Coastal Communities in Norway Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by the Former Mayor of Stavanger, November, 2002. ( 2.2MB).
• Maximizing Benefits from Resource Development Presentation at a public forum during the visit of the Norwegian Delegation. Produced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of Norway, November, 2002. ( 389KB).