Background:

Offshore energy is a huge and growing resource:

• About 18 percent of U.S. oil and natural gas is produced offshore and production is growing. Globally, the offshore provides 30 percent of oil and natural gas.
• Offshore wind is also a growing source of electricity, especially in Europe. The U.S. has significant offshore wind power potential, but no commercial wind facilities are in development [2017 update: the first offshore wind project in the United States went live in December 2016 off the coast of Rhode Island].

Ongoing technological advancements assure all these resources will continue to grow while addressing heightened environmental concerns.

Our speakers are:

• Buford Pollett, Assistant Professor of Energy Law, University of Tulsa | Slides  Video
• Eric van Oort, Professor of Petroleum Engineering, University of Texas at Austin | Slides  Video
• James Bennett, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management | Slides  Video

Webinar Co-Sponsors:

American Association of Petroleum Geologists, American Geophysical Union, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Geological Society of America

Resources to learn more:

•  View this webinar's Question & Answer session
• U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's Annual Report 2015
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2015, 2014-2015 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report

Search the Geological Surveys Database for reports and factsheets about offshore energy.