Offshore

Offshore areas are becoming more and more important for the use of energy sources, whether fossil or renewable. Around 25% of the world's proven oil reserves are believed to be in offshore deposits. With stricter climate targets, the use of wind and water for offshore energy generation is more in the focus, while the extraction of oil and gas is increasingly being shifted to the deep sea due to diminishing deposits.

For this purpose, offshore structures are used, including drilling rigs, production and research platforms and wind turbines. These are served by offshore vessels, e.g. transport and installation ships, cable-laying vessels or supply ships.

The type of drilling rig (e.g. platform, semi-submersible or tension leg) is selected depending on the environmental conditions, water depth and size of the oil field. Drill ships, on the other hand, have no connection to the seabed, but compensate for platform movements using dynamic positioning systems with thruster motors. At great depths, so-called subsea rigs are used, which rest on the seabed. They have a modular design and are linked to groups via cables.

In Germany, only one drilling and production platform, "Mittelplate", is currently in operation in the North German Wadden Sea.