As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, America is celebrating yet another example of our country’s exceptionalism.
Penning an op-ed for Fox News, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito revealed that we are tapping into oil reserves that had been previously deemed “unattainable.”
“More than 100 miles offshore from the Gulf Coast sits a geological layer of sandstone and shale rock deep beneath the seabed called the Paleogene that holds tens of billions of barrels of oil. For years, most of it was considered unattainable. The reservoir pressures – up to 20,000 pounds per square inch, equivalent to an elephant standing on a quarter – exceeded anything existing technology could handle. No equipment had ever been built to work under those conditions,” he wrote.
But thanks to American ingenuity, that is no longer the case.
“Transocean developed the first drillships in the world built to work in these high-pressure conditions. Their Deepwater Titan and Deepwater Atlas are currently operating in the Gulf of America. Trendsetter Engineering designed subsea systems and manifolds capable of operating reliably at pressures once considered beyond reach. Other offshore companies have developed similar equipment that has unlocked the Paleogene,” Milito explains. “The results speak for themselves. Chevron’s Anchor project came online in 2024, representing roughly $5.7 billion in development spending. Beacon Offshore’s Shenandoah is also producing oil and natural gas. BP’s development plan for its $5 billion Kaskida project has secured federal approval and is moving toward first production. Together, these projects mark the opening of a new chapter of American offshore capability.”
It’s an achievement worth celebrating this Independence Day, because it’s a uniquely American solution to a problem that had been considered unsolvable until recently.
“The Gulf of America supplies roughly 15% of U.S. oil production. Offshore projects support shipyards, manufacturers, ports, marine operators and skilled trades across the country. There are jobs and investments in all 50 states,” Milito gushed. “The Paleogene represents the next chapter of that output, backed by existing infrastructure, an experienced workforce, and decades of hard-won operating knowledge. The economic and national security benefits don’t happen without the long-term investment decisions and the long-term confidence that make them possible.”
As Americans reflect on the last 250 years of history, and what direction we want the country to take in the future, it’s clear that the United States is still a place that can and will do hard things to achieve our goals, regardless of how “unattainable” they might be.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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