China - September 27, 2024

New state-of-the-art facilities bolster China's deepwater oil, gas extraction capabilities

(Voice_over)

In waters southeast of Guangdong Province in southern China, two sets of state-of-the-art oil and gas extraction equipment have recently started operating, pioneering a new model for efficient offshore energy production.

Built by Chinese oil and gas giant, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the facilities are now up and running in tandem in the country's first deepwater oilfield, Liuhua.

Haiji-2, Asia's first deep-water jacket, collects crude oil from the seabed, while Haikui No.1, Asia's first cylindrical floating production, storage, and offloading unit, provides power for Haiji-2 and performs further processing.

Engineers say their combination represents a groundbreaking approach for deepwater oil and gas exploration.

(Sound_bite)

Yu Hongkun, production manager, Liuhua Oilfield:

"The drilling platform of Liuhua's deepwater jacket structure extracts crude oil, which will then be transported to the cylindrical FPSO facility after preprocessing. The facility will process the crude oil into qualified crude oil for storage and external transportation. This extraction model can greatly raise the recovery rate and extend the production life of the oil field by nearly 30 years, providing a new option for the efficient development of deepwater oil and gas fields in China."

(Voice_over)

The two platforms and the oilfield's subsea production system are connected by seven pipes and cables that transmit oil, gas and photoelectric signals.

Engineers say they used robots and digital technology to overcome challenges while installing the underwater cables.

(Sound_bite)

Wang Wei, manager of cable operations, Liuhua Oilfield Secondary Development Project:

"The project team applied digital technology in high-precision calculations and simulations to design the structure of submarine pipes and cables and ensured that the structure perfectly matches with the simulation results. During operations, underwater robots were deployed to assist in laying down the pipes and cables, achieving centimeter-level accuracy in pipe and cable installation at a water depth of 324 meters. This is a globally leading accuracy in the field."

(Voice_over)

Haikui No.1 is nearly 90 meters high and weighs around 37,000 metric tons, with a maximum oil storage capacity of 60,000 metric tons.

Haiji-2, meanwhile, stands 428 meters tall and weighs over 50,000 metric tons.

[Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]