Deep Offshore Exploration – Review and Challenges

D009 DEEP OFFSHORE EXPLORATION: REVIEW AND CHALLENGES D009.doc PH. DE CLARENS P. UNTERNEHR F. WEISGERBER TOTAL 2 place de la Coupole Paris La Défense France Today Deep Offshore discoveries are estimated around 60 billions barrels of oil equivalent. This number is not very different from the total discoveries made in some countries such as Norway or Algeria. The total Deep Offshore discoveries represent only 2 to 5% of total oil and gas resources on the earth. Figure 1: Deep Offshore exploration results versus conventional exploration results Because of the large surface of the continental margins that lies in deep water