Artificial islands are formed by
humans versus natural means. It is usually
constructed on an existing reef or an expansion of a
natural island. Traditionally, artificial islands
were created by land reclamation to gain more
agricultural lands. The Aztecs created a massive
system of man-made islands where they grew
foodstuffs. Another type of artificial island is
when canals isolate a piece of the mainland and create an islet.
For the petroleum industry,
artificial islands have allowed companies to access
remote areas. An artificial island was built in the
Caspian Sea to combine multiple wells. The rig was
recently modified in order to skid over all seven
existing well slots, taking into consideration the
very congested island. The use of artificial islands
in Canada is increasing especially in the Artic.
Offshore drilling can be done from drill ships or
reinforced ice islands. In shallower water dredged
artificial islands or steel structures filled with
dredged materials can be used as islands for the rig
and the workers to live on. In the 1960s,
exploration got underway in the Mackenzie Delta and
Beaufort Sea region where artificial islands were
built to support drilling in shallow water, while
drilling ships and floatable caissons were used for
deeper water drilling.
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