Experts Say Permit Reform Needed To Transform Oil Rigs Into Marine Habitats

A new documentary is shedding light on a program that allows decommissioned offshore oil platforms to become permanent sanctuaries for marine wildlife. When an oil platform is installed, marine ecosystems begin to grow around the structures underneath the water. Over time, production from an offshore oil well declines and the platform must be decommissioned.

The Rigs to Reefs program allows the structures to be converted into reefs so that the ecosystems that have grown up around them during the well’s lifetime won’t be destroyed. Besides providing habitats for marine wildlife, supporters say the program benefits coastal economies that rely on fishing and tourism.

“Steel Sanctuary: The Rigs to Reef Story,” a new documentary on the program, explains how the program works, what its benefits are, and how permitting challenges remain one of the biggest impediments to turning decommissioned platforms into marine wildlife sanctuaries.

Abundance of habitat, restoration of coral reefs
Gabriella Hoffman, director of the Center for Energy and Conservation at Independent Women’s Forum, went to the film’s premiere in Washington, D.C. last month. She told Just the News she was intrigued by the Rigs to Reef program and the documentary allowed her to see the sanctuaries up close.

“In the Gulf of America, it has seen great success. You’ve seen the restoration of coral reef ecosystems that were not there before. It’s been like a force multiplier, where the decommissioned oil rigs have just created this abundance of habitat,” Hoffman said.