Deepwater drilling

Using a drilling rig to bore holes for petroleum extraction in deep sea Discoverer Inspiration delivers new containment cap to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on 10 July 2010. In the background are the Discoverer Enterprise, GSF Development Driller II, and Helix Producer I Deepwater drilling, or deep well drilling, is the process of creating holes in the Earth's crust using a drilling rig for oil extraction under the deep sea. There are approximately 3400 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico with depths greater than 150 meters.[full citation needed] Deepwater drilling has not been technologically or economically feasible for many years, but with rising oil prices,[when?] more companies are investing in this sector. Major investors include Halliburton, Diamond Offshore, Transocean, Geoservices, and Schlumberger. The deepwater gas and oil market has been back on the rise since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, with total expenditures of around US$35 billion per year in the market and total global capital expenditures of US$167 billion in the past four years. Industry analysis by business intelligence company Visiongain estimated in 2011 that total expenditures in global deepwater