What are the positives to the environment when doing Oil Drilling?

Question

in my geography class we got put into groups and my teacher made us do the positives of oil drilling in a debate, i dont really agree that its positive but i have to do it. i need help finding positives from an environmental point of view

Answer 1

Offshore drilling rigs create artificial reefs for the sea creatures.   Undersea pipelines also make great reefs for undersea life.  Some of the best fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is near an offshore oil rig.

Drilling can be conducted to be "zero pollution" drilling (used in Mobile Bay for years).

OnLand, the footprint for a rig is much smaller than a parking lot at your school.  Roads are built to minimize impact to the environment regarding runoff.   After drilling is completed, there will be no impact to the site (if it is a dry hole) and minimum impact to the facility other than the addition to a small production facility if it produces oil.  Natural gas is piped directly from the wellhead to the nearest compressor station.

Positive impact:  You do not walk to school, read in the dark, do you?  If you have an accident at night and have to be taken to the hospital, they can operate on you at midnight in a well lit room that likely has electricity supplied by a natural gas fired plant.  The ambulance used petroleum based fuel.