Keathley Canyon facts for kids
Keathley Canyon is a huge underwater canyon in the Gulf of Mexico. It is like a giant valley at the bottom of the sea! This special area is part of the United States' "Exclusive Economic Zone." This means the U.S. has special rights to explore and use the natural resources there. The canyon got its name from a survey ship called the USNS Sergeant George D. Keathley.
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Keathley Canyon: An Underwater World
Keathley Canyon is a very important place. It is known for having many large oil fields. Oil fields are areas where lots of oil and natural gas are found deep underground. Companies can drill here to bring these energy sources to the surface.
Finding Oil in the Deep Sea
Some of the biggest oil fields in Keathley Canyon include Tiber, Kaskida, Lucius, and Buckskin. Many energy companies have permission to drill for oil in this area. These companies include Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, and others. They work together to find and bring up the oil.
Big Discoveries and Important Rules
In June 2011, a company called ExxonMobil announced exciting news. They found two large oil and gas areas in Keathley Canyon. These areas are about 250 miles (400 km) southwest of New Orleans. Experts believe these new finds hold about 700 million barrels of oil.
This discovery was very important. It was one of the biggest finds in the Gulf of Mexico in ten years. It also happened after a temporary stop on deepwater drilling. This stop was put in place after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. The spill was a big accident that caused a lot of oil to leak into the Gulf. The new discovery showed that companies could start exploring again safely.
Where is Keathley Canyon?
Keathley Canyon is surrounded by other interesting underwater features.
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East Breaks | Garden Banks | Green Canyon | |
| Alaminos Canyon |  |
Walker Ridge | ||
 Keathley Canyon  |
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| Sigsbee Escarpment | Amery Terrace |
