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offshore drilling

Cultural  
  1. The operation of oil wells on the continental shelf, sometimes in water hundreds of feet deep.


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Public debate about offshore drilling concentrates on the possibility that large oil spills will occur, with subsequent damage to the coastal environment.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Transocean will acquire Valaris in an all-stock deal, creating the largest publicly traded offshore drilling contractor with 73 rigs and $10 billion in contract backlog.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Fellow offshore drilling company Transocean has agreed to acquire Valaris in an all-stock deal worth $5.8 billion.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

In the weeks before the conference, oil and gas major Petrobras, was given licenses by the Brazilian government to explore offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

Shell, which has been pushing to sell its assets in the West African country to focus on offshore drilling and onshore gas, has indicated it will defend the claims.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2025

In a video interview posted to X, Baugh said he doesn’t think there needs to be more offshore drilling, particularly off the Orange County coast.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2024