No one knows for sure whether there's oil off the North Carolina coast.
But researchers believe there's a substantial cache of natural gas in an area about 45 miles off Cape Hatteras based on past experience, explains UNC-Chapel Hill geology professor Kevin Stewart.
The gas would have formed when layers of prehistoric organic matter — basically dead sea creatures from about 150 million years ago — were buried under limestone rock. Being closer to the earth's crust, they were heated over millions of years.
As the material became natural gas, it floated upward, filling giant pores in the rock, "like a big sponge," Stewart said. Shale on top of the limestone then acted as a cap that kept the gas from escaping.
Stewart said they do not know for sure whether there's natural gas off the coast, but sophisticated models comparing similar geological conditions give strong indications.
"No one really knows until they drill, but from their models they know it's likely," he said.
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Re: What might be off N.C.'s coast
Voice_of_Reason,
Katrina caused the loss of 113 oil platforms, and caused 124 offshore spills:
http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pd
And last I checked, southern Louisiana isn't exactly the type of economic juggernaut that many places are striving to become.