The western Gulf of Mexico is a central hub of the US oil and gas industry. Every major company has an office in Houston, and many cities along the coast of Louisiana are devoted to the refining and exploration sectors. Each node of the petroleum network is connected by a pipeline – and that includes the offshore drilling platforms. Not all of them have oil rushing through them – many have been capped off and abandoned. It’s unlikely that anyone will ever come into contact with one of these pipelines, even with a drag-net: most of them are buried in the soft sediments at the bottom of the sea. Even so, it’s amazing what kind of rat’s nest exists just out of reach from our beaches.

The eastern Gulf is relatively pipeline free – only two lonesome lines extend into that region.

Like a spider on drugs.

Data Sources: US Bureau of Energy Management, US National Atlas
Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic, customized to fit the mapping extent (WGS-84)
Tools: QGIS