Meanwhile, the technology used at drilling and production platforms has developed tremendously, but the challenges regarding depth, weather, and sediment structure have grown even more, as easy-to-exploit oil fields have been exhausted. Blowouts have become the most troublesome type of oil spills, and in deep water they tend to continue for a considerable time because of the difficulties faced in containing them.
与此同时，钻井和开采平台的技术发展也日新月异，但随着便于开采的油井已经被开采完毕，人们所面临的深度、气候和沉积物构造等方面的难题也更加棘手。井喷已经成为最难处理的漏油事故，在深水区发生的井喷因为处理困难，可能持续的时间很长。