1.2.1 The Continental Shelf 



The oil and gas industry's prosperity depends upon the recurrent 

 discovery of hydrocarbons and the continental margins of the world are 

 prime candidates for their location. The Continental Shelf is a gently 

 sloping plateau of land that starts at the coastline and runs seaward to 

 a point where there is a sharply defined drop toward the ocean floor. 

 Figure 2 depicts the characteristic features of the continental margin, 

 which includes the continental shelf. 



Figure 2. An example profile of the continental 

 margin (Source: Reference 6). 



Land 



Ocean 



Shelf edge 



o.r 



Continental 

 shelf 



130 m 



- 65 km - 



4.3° 



Continental 

 slope 



*- 1 5-80 km - 



Continental terrace 



1 ,400-3,200 m 



4,000 m 



I 

 -Continental margin - 



Continental rise- 



- Deep sea bed 



14 



