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Ricks W. MENSAH
11 December 2014
Connie
Douglas
English 112-78

Dear reader,
Offshore drilling for oil and gas in the United States (US)
has been a source of energy generation for several decades. The
first offshore platforms were constructed off the coast of
Summerfield, California in 1896. These wells were fairly near
the shoreline and yielded only a small amount of oil. These
pioneering wells peaked by 1902 and were abandoned.
By 1947, the offshore drilling industry had advanced to
constructing oil platforms beyond the sight of land and yielding
more products. Offshore drilling is a technique by which oil is
extracted from the bottom of the ocean floor. Many people are
opposed to offshore drilling because of its impact on the
environment especially, when massive oil-spill occurs affecting
the economy as well as the ecology of the involved areas;
although, accidents are not frequent.
Several people support offshore drilling as well. They
argue that the technology benefits society greatly for example, it
creates employment opportunities, enhances local economies,
platforms serve as breeding structures for marine animals and
birds. Supporters also assert that offshore drilling provides
domestic oil, decrease excessive reliance on foreign oil, reduce
gas price at the pump and make it readily available.
Current crude oil production by offshore drilling
technology ranged between 1.61 to 2million barrels per day
according to the U.S. Energy Information administration.
Currently, there is a decline in energy import due to increase
domestic production of petroleum and natural gas and the

gradual improvement in vehicle efficiency with regards to fuel

consumption.
Renewable energy sources are being discussed in many
sectors of the society today but, these are energy sources that are
still being discovered. I believe it is reasonable to continue to
explore energy sources that are confirmed available such as
offshore gas and oil deposits; although, the exploration process
is hazardous.

Oil is life

Preface

The BP, Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion of 2010 underscores the danger of offshore oil
drilling. From my research, I realized that this is technology that required meticulous safety
precautions. Although federal authorities have call on the industry to address the issue of safety
in all offshore projects. Fires and explosions continue to plague the industry. My hope is that all
companies operating oil rigs in the United States (US) and around the world will continue to
maintain and improve on safety procedures. As I present the two sides of offshore drilling via
different genre, I hope that you the reader will understand the dangers of the technology while

appreciating its benefits.

Oil is life

Descriptive writing
Rationale: I chose descriptive writing to describe the process of offshore drilling and enable my
readers to understand what is involved with this form of energy production. www.eia.gov

With oil and natural gas being the driving force behind human civilization with in the
last few centuries, geologists have been studying surface features and satellite maps, checking
soil and rock samples with gravity meter to find subterranean flow of oil. Another method
geologist used is seismic surveying or sparking. This method involve sending shock waves down
through the water and into the ocean floor.
If the shock wave reaches a change in rock layers; it bounces back toward hydrophones
on the survey ship. With the aid of computers, seismologists can analyze the information and
pinpoint possible areas of oil and gas location in the earth under the ocean bed. When undersea
oil deposit is detected, it is time to mark down the GPS coordinates and plant a buoy.
The oil company goes to the government to obtain a permit or drilling rights to begin
small exploratory drilling to see what is truly available. Reaching the undersea drilling site pose
a challenge. To overcome these obstacles, oil companies have invested billions of dollars into the
development of offshore drilling and offshore oil platforms. Todays oil rigs are massive
structures. Some are floating cities with hundreds of employees living on the rig. Some of these
production facilities sit atop undersea towels that descend thousands of feet into the depths. An
average well is expected to last a good 10 -20 years before it is no longer profitable therefore, oil
production platforms are built with a long stay in mind.

Oil is life

The Pros and Cons of Offshore Drilling

Rationale: The decision to expand offshore drilling for oil and gas production in the U.S. is
a complex issue that is being continuously debated. There are compelling reasons to expand and
not to expand the exploration process. Supporters site economic and political independence
whereas, opponents consider environmental reasons. I selected the Pro and Cons list as a genre to
enable the readers to understand the issues surrounding offshore drilling especially, the
advantages and disadvantages of the technology.www.eia.gov

Pros
More domestic supply of oil and gas
Lower gas prices at the pump
Lower agriculture and food prices
Lower air travel cost
Improved local economies
Increase government revenue
Decrease foreign oil and gas import
Oil and gas investments remained domestic

Cons
Oil rigs accidents, environmental, economic and human damages
Minimal impact on international oil prices
Environmental hazards

Oil is life

Wanted Poster

Rationale: I chose to create a wanted poster to let the readers know that there is a
need for an oil rig worker and to present a display as well as brief information
about an oil rig worker.

Wanted
Oil Rig Worker

No experience needed
Specialized training available
Yearly salary ranged $50.000- $100.000
Benefits provided after 30 days
Note: must be willing to relocate

Oil is life

Bumper sticker
Rationale: I chose to create a bumper sticker with the caption Oil is life. Let it continue to
flow. Oil is the blood that runs through the veins of todays civilize society. Due to the

importance of oil to the American livelihood, the research to produce more will continue with
safe production being maintained.

Oil Is Life
Let It Continue To
Flow

Oil is life

Reflective Letter

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Dear miss Douglas,

I had the belief that offshore drilling was truly a destructive technology but, now that I have
researched the topic, I realized that while it is true that this form of energy production can be
deadly and destructive, its products are extremely essential to our livelihood.
Gas and oil are currently available under the sea bed and the only confirmed method of
extracting this vital natural resource currently is by offshore drilling. We need gas and oil. We
dont want death and the destruction of the environment. This is a dilemma that we will
experience for a long time.
My hope is that oil rigs operators will continue to emphasize and maintain safety. I have
learned that the multi-genre medium presents the same topic in a different minor which is very
interesting. My hope is that my audience will get a clearer understanding of what offshore
drilling is and what it involved.
I feel that I have accomplished what I desired from this research and that is to learn about
offshore drilling and its effects on society. I have also being able to present valuable information
to my audience.

Oil is life

Bibliography

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Bailey, Ronald. Offshore Drilling Remains a Risk Worth Taking. Oil Spills. Ed. Tamara
Thompson. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies.
Rpt. from Weighing the Benefits and Cost of Offshore Drilling. Reason
Foundation. 2010 Opposing Viewpoint in Context. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

Billitteri, Thomas J. Offshore Drilling. CQ Researcher 25 June 2010: 553-80. Web. 22 Oct.
2014

Energy Information Administration Offshore drilling, www.eia.gov,Petroleum, gas, diesel. 10

December 2013, Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Fontova, Humberto. Offshore Oil Drilling Poses No Danger to Oceans. Endangered

Oceans. Ed. Helga Schier and Lynn M. Zott. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press,
2014. Opposing viewpoints. Rpt. from The Environmental Benefits of Off-Shore
Drilling.Townhall.com 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 Oct. 2014.

Natural Resources Defense Council. Offshore Oil Drilling Endangers Oceans. Endangered
Oceans. Ed. Helga Schier and Lynn M. Zott. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press,
2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Protecting Our Ocean and Coastal Economies:
Avoid Unnecessary Risks from Off-Shore Drilling. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 3 Oct. 2014

Weeks, Jennifer. U.S. Oil Dependence. CQ Researcher 22 June 2012: 549-7

Web. 23 Oct. 2014

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Wells, Bruce. Off-Shore Petroleum History America Oil and Gas Historical Society.
(aoghs.org) Web. 9 Sept.2010.

Oil is life

Course Reflection

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Ricks Mensah
Miss Connie Douglas
English 112-78
11 Dec. 2014
When I was faced with the decision of selecting another writing intensive English class,
I took a hard look at the semester schedule and thought, am I ready to tackle another English
class again? The answer came and it was a resounding yes. I was slightly overwhelm at the
beginning of the course because I was not managing my time well. I knew I could to do better if
I paid attention to what was being presented in class, get involve in classroom activities, and
reviewed materials that I received.
The first day of class was the 27th of August 2014. I got to the class a little late at about
6:10pm. I quietly walked to a seat. Immediately after I became comfortable, I was given the
sign-in sheet. I signed my initials to indicate I was present. Miss Douglas, being a good and
experienced instructor, decided to review the discussion that had taken place during the first 1015 minutes of the class.
The instructor had a persistent welcoming smile on her face. After settling into the class,
I found my Day-Book and began listening and writing. Miss Douglas suggested that we do
introduction at this time. She introduced herself, talked about her family and her academic
experiences. It was time for each of us to do the same. I introduced myself and threw some
humor in the mist. The whole class laughed. This was the beginning of my de-stressing and fear

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relieving period. I was convinced that I was in a class with a good and experienced instructor
who was interested in student success. I came to the conclusion that I was destined for success in
this class.
The instructor reminded us about Self-confidence a requirement for success as a writer.
She reiterated that Self-confidence enables one to defend what he/she writes and as writers we
needed to have Self-confidence. We were caution about plagiarism and the use of MLA citation
in our writings. The discussion about the unexamined life was very interesting. Socrates stated
that the un-examined life is not worth living. Life must always be examined in search of its
worth and purpose. The majority is not always right. One must always be a thinking person.
Always see the world with your own eyes. The topic about the Un-examined Life persuaded
me to do extensive self-examination. This was a good exercise.
The Rhetorical Analysis paper was my first writing test. The first challenge was
selecting a topic that was interesting with sufficient available information. I search the available
data bases several times and could not find any topic of interest. Three day later, I selected the
topic parental consent. This was a topic about parents consenting to teen abortion. States
making it a law for parent to sign a consent prior to their teens undergoing the surgical procedure
of an abortion. I was so passionate about this topic that I wanted to inject a lot of my personal
views, but I quickly realized that the requirement was to analyze other writers thoughts about
the subject.
I completed the paper and received a 100% plagiarism report. I was disappointed and
vowed to redo the paper. The organization of the paper was good, but a lot of the content was
copied from the research articles. There was no paraphrasing and summarizing of the
information that I gather. This was the reason for my plagiarism results. I learned a lot from this

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experience. Peer Review enable me to refocus on the requirements of each paper I completed.
It was a good learning activity. The rest of the papers I completed after my first piece were good.
I am grateful to all those who contributed to my success especially the Instructor. I have made
changes to my POLISHED PAPERS. All of the changes I made are colored BLUE.

Oil is life