Offshore oil has built some well-deserved bad rap over the decades because of oil spills, and it has frequently been the specific target of protest action from environmentalists. But if we’re talking about emissions, the truth about offshore oil will shock some: they’re much lower than other forms of oil production. The fact may not be universal but, as per an Energy Intelligence report that quotes executives from Shell and BHP, it remains a fact for much of the industry. There are several reasons for that, and these commonly have to do with the size of the offshore deposits and their operators’ cost control and environmental protection efforts. If you take a look at a global map of the hotspots in oil exploration, you will notice that with the notable exception of U.S. shale, they are all offshore. Brazil’s pre-salt zone will be on this map, as will Guyana’s […]