[anexprogrammer]

...and how much steel goes into your typical 50 or 60,000 ton oil rig? They're mostly steel after all.

Given we're starting from nearly all fossil of course fossil fuel needs to burn to do just about anything. So long as there is a sensible pay-back period, and reasonable life beyond, what's it matter? Come replacement time hopefully the steel will be smelted with entirely renewable electricity.

If we reach that point having to keep using some coal and oil for coke and other products we cannot get elsewhere is going to be environmentally trivial comparatively.

Would you prefer to stay away from renewables and stay on fossil?

[sremani]

Again, over the sea rigs are already in decline. Because of shale revolution, the foot print is much much lesser.