North Sea Oil. The Great Gamble

Artikelnummer 10217433

North Sea Oil: The Great Gamble serves as a seminal mid-1960s analysis of the burgeoning offshore energy industry, capturing the high-stakes transition from speculative exploration to the first tangible discoveries of natural gas in the United Kingdom's continental shelf. Written by Bryan Cooper and geophysicist T.F. Gaskell, the narrative details the immense technological and financial risks involved in drilling within one of the world's most hostile maritime environments, where unpredictable weather and deep waters made success far from guaranteed. The authors provide a technical yet accessible overview of the geological surveys, the evolution of drilling platforms, and the complex legal frameworks regarding international sea boundaries that were being established in real-time. By documenting the era immediately following the 1965 West Sole gas discovery, the book provides a unique historical perspective on the industry’s optimism and the logistical hurdles faced before the North Sea became a global oil powerhouse in the following decade.