b. From Government While most Federal efforts 
in ocean technology were not intended to provide 
benefits to any particular industry, there have 
been developments of particular value to the 
offshore oil industry. As the Nation accelerates its 
ocean programs and as the industry continues to 
move into deeper water, increased technological 
knowhow will augment greatly oil company ef- 
forts. Such Government efforts should hasten the 
day when the petroleum industry will engage 
technically and economically in total or partial 
subsea operations. For example, the Government 
should encourage development of basic scientific 
and engineering data and knowledge beyond the 
economic scope of an individual industry but 
justified by multi-industry and Government needs. 
Examples include meteorology, oceanography, 
power sources, materials, and life support systems. 
Each industry would further develop and apply 
the technology peculiar to its own business. 
4. Technology Requirements for Major Oil Spills 
The petroleum industry is concerned with 
preventing and combating disasters such as the 
Torrey Canyon grounding, and it has supported 
coordinated efforts with the Government to solve 
such problems. In fact, the industry provided 
considerable information on the subject to the 
joint pollution study conducted for the President 
by the Departments of the Interior and Transpor- 
tation. 
Improved methods must be developed to mini- 
mize the probability of major oil spills. to opti- 
mize countermeasures, and to develop technolog- 
ical means to identify the parties responsible for 
pollution. Joint efforts of the industry and the 
Federal and State governments must be acceler- 
ated. International restrictions against pumping 
bilges and slush tanks into waters anywhere—in 
harbors or at sea—must be established and en- 
forced. 
5. Navigation and Positioning Systems 
Many do not consider this subject to have the 
high priority of environmental forecasting. Never- 
theless, more emphasis must be placed on position- 
ing accuracy and repeatability in the order of SO 
feet as far as 200 miles from shore. Such accura- 
cies are required when delineating boundaries and 
333-091 O-69—16 
locating a well site. The release of the Navy 
TRANSIT System is an excellent first step. 
6. Traffic Control 
Development of marine traffic control methods 
for congested waters should be accelerated. Better 
delineation of shipping lanes would be an excellent 
first step. 
7. Surveys 
The petroleum industry makes a very strong 
distinction between broad regional and detailed 
exploratory surveys. Detailed exploratory surveys 
should be left to private enterprise. In general, the 
traditional guidelines established by the U.S. Geo- 
logical Survey (USGS) on land are believed to 
represent an appropriate separation of the proper 
Government and industry responsibility in the sea. 
Thus, it is felt that the USGS should step up its 
reconnaissance mapping program of our Conti- 
nental Shelf. The modest USGS program of 
subbottom mapping is also of value to the industry 
and should be continued. 
Environmental Science Services Administra- 
tion’s (ESSA) bathymetric charting of our Conti- 
nental Shelf also should be continued, with com- 
pletion of most of the shelf within two years. In 
addition, ESSA should start now to make plans for 
extending bathymetric chart coverage of the conti- 
nental slope and rise. 
H. Conclusions 
Free World production from offshore fields is 
about five million barrels of oil per day, about 16 
per cent of total land and offshore production. By 
1980 this should climb to 20 million barrels per 
day, about one third of the projected total Free 
World production. The Far East and Africa are the 
most rapid growth areas. The Middle East holds 
most of the Free World’s offshore oil reserves and 
provides about one-fourth of current offshore 
production. 
Offshore oil was first produced in 1894 in 
California; petroleum operations in the Gulf of 
Mexico began in 1936, and the first subsea well 
was completed in Lake Erie in 1959. Today 
production has been established more than 70 
miles from shore and in depths of 340 feet, and 
more than 50 subsea wells have been completed. 
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