Hydrocarbon exploration in deep water occasionally results in significant environmental degradation resulting mainly from accumulation of contaminated drill cuttings , but also from oil spills . While the oil gusher involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico originates from a wellhead only 1500 meters below the ocean surface , it nevertheless illustrates the kind of environmental disaster that can result from mishaps related to offshore drilling for oil and gas
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Abyssal plain