FEB 24

There's a problem with oil rigs...once they've pumped all of the oil out from underneath them, they become gigantic, useless hunks of metal sitting in the middle of some of the most beautiful oceans in the world. So what do we do with all of them?

Well we've already seen people strapping wind turbines to them, to turn fossil fuel farms into wind farms, and we're pretty big fans of that idea. But this year's winner of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality award is taking that idea a few steps further. Yes, the oil rig will have a wind turbine, but the turbine will be used to power a luxury hotel that will sit on the off-shore island.

The hotel would have 300 luxury suites, a conference center, a roof-top infinity pool, a dive bell and (since there are no specific laws preventing it) a casino. What else could a modest millionaire ask for in a vacation spot?

Because it's so expensive to hire construction crews certified for working on oil rigs, the hotel would be pre-fabricated on-shore, and then shipped in modular components to the oil rig.

To me, there are a few significant flaws to this plan. The first, of course, is that Katrina showed us just how vulnerable these structures can be. And while they would have plenty of time to evacuate, the Hotel would probably just be empty for all of hurricane season, and absolutely impossible to insure.

Second, this seems like a fairly unsustainable use of an unsustainable product. I'd rather we just strap a wind turbine to it and be done with it than constantly be helicoptering millionaires into the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

Comments (11)

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wow
written by HollyHogwarts, February 24, 2009

to me that idea sounds like a waste of money and an oil rig. if they can strap an wind turbine on there why use it to power a hotel that people won't even go to through hurricane season (and that a big part of the year)!

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written by Magnulus, February 24, 2009

Let's also not forget that alcohol is forbidden on oil rigs and the amount of training you need just to be allowed to go out there. I sat through a two-hour safety course to go on a five-hour visit to my father when he worked on an oil rig (yeah, yeah. I know) and that's a situation in which I would be absolutely surrounded by qualified personell.

Obviously, there would be fewer hazards in a hotelified rig, but it still sounds like a stupid, stupid way to do things. Not to mention that oceans aren't that beautiful when all you see is ocean... and that goddamned rig you're on.

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Um, err...
written by Poida, February 25, 2009

Aren't Oil rig owners responsible for their removal & safe disposal - then they can be recycled.
Seems beyond stupid if they aren't.

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written by tswitala, February 25, 2009

Turn the oil rigs into datacenters with power being generated by tides and hook it up to a submarine fiber. You also have plenty of water around for cooling

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written by ttt, February 25, 2009

some just go to he five star to be in five star, with the external location being irrelevant.
structures in the sea also attract and nurture ocean life so would make for good fishing for the guests.
else they would make also ideal platforms for offshore aquaculture projects.

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written by Rob, March 04, 2009

I am constantly amazed at how some of the stupidest ideas can get traction.

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written by Miranda, March 04, 2009

I just wanted to comment on the Old Oil Rigs and how ecogeek says after all the oil is pumped out the become useless metal hunks. This is not true at least it is not true in all areas. For instance the Gulf of Mexico, oil rigs that have become dry are taking down and moved out of the Gulf the legs are moved to reef sites, since coral has started forming on them over the years this move helps bring coral back by making new beds of coral. This in turn helps to save the gulf. The other parts of the rigs are taken to land and either scraped or refurbished to use at other locations.

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Unsustainable...or not?
written by Whitney, March 04, 2009

I can see everyone's point about it being more inefficient and unsustainable than just using the power off it but who's to say that even a hotel this size won't have some excess power to sell or give to someone else? Other businesses who have adopted this way of powering buildings have done that with their excess power?

I think it sounds cool.

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written by Dan, March 04, 2009

Nope. Not gonna happen - way too stupid.

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what a view
written by Rojelio, March 06, 2009

If it doesn't make money as a hotel, you've still got the wind turbine. Make it into a prison for disgraced CEOs.

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At least it is a start...
written by barguybrady, March 08, 2009

on re-thinking the entire process. With so many negative comments, it is akin to the many other outlandish ideas proposed over the millenia. If evaluated on a case-by-case basis, perhaps this would be a feasible use for select rigs. Also, I had thought that Katarina didn't actually damage any rigs, and that was a testament to their structural integrity, to the dismay of some protesters.

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