The Deepwater Horizon disaster has proven to be one of the great environmental tragedies of our time. However, as a result of the scale of the problem, experts are now questioning their beliefs that taking oil from oil sands is a far more unreliable option.

Event Horizon

The Deepwater Horizon is a BP well located in the Gulf of Mexico. A fault in the well has resulted in it leaking around 210,000 gallons of oil per day. In addition to the environmental cost, the disaster will have other effects. In all likelihood, this event will make future exploration in American waters more expensive and more risky. However, this particular region accounts for a third of America’s domestic gas and oil production, so there is little chance that the region will be abandoned entirely. Yet, because of the physical difficulties in managing the leakage, experts’ attentions are turning elsewhere.

The province of Alberta in Canada contains petroleum reserves equivalent to around 173 billion barrels. This sum is second only to the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. The problem with the oil in Alberta is that it is based on land in fields known as ‘oil sands’. Potentially, the oil sands are far more polluting to exploit than conventional sources. However, the Deepwater Horizon disaster is raising serious questions; after all, surely it is easier to manage a disaster on land than it is at the bottom of the ocean?

Future Prospects

Many of those in oil jobs might breathe a sigh of relief at this notion. Initially, it seemed that hundreds of oil jobs might be threatened as a result of the disaster. However, with US consumer demand for oil rising by 35% and their own domestic production declining by almost a third, it seems as though the oil sands of Alberta are becoming a more attractive option. In fact, with costs of exploration and drilling in American waters beginning to rise, vacancies are already opening for staff that can begin the process of exploring the oil sands.

Should the oil sands prove fruitful, then those with oil jobs can expect to maintain their jobs. In addition, there are likely to be more openings available for those looking to pursue oil careers. New technology is already being developed and this will require a new generation of workers to manage it. America is already preparing for a boom in the oil industry by offering college-level courses to high school students to prepare them for the changes in the oil and gas industry.

In a strange twist of fate, the US Government had already been liaising with the US Environmental Protection Agency to determine the environmental effects of transporting oil sands oil through a pipeline from Canada to Port Arthur. The report stated that the effects “would have limited adverse environmental impacts.” In the face of the Deep Horizon disaster, President Obama has suspended drilling and exploration in that area, but the wheels already seem to be turning with respect to the Alberta oil sands. Those in the oil industry may find that their chief place of work is no longer at sea, but on land.

Author Bio: Duncan freer – Director – oil careers and gas jobs. Search is a job site dedicated to the specific needs of candidates who work in the Oil and Gas industry. We also provide recruiters with an online service that is effective in terms of cost and ease of use.

Category: Business
Keywords: Drilling Jobs, offshore jobs, oil and gas jobs, oil careers