China’s first offshore million-tonne carbon storage project reached a major milestone this week, capturing over 10 million cubic meters of CO₂—equivalent to planting nearly 2.2 million trees—off the coast of the Chinese mainland. Operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), this achievement showcases a mature capacity for offshore CO₂ sequestration and marks a significant step toward China’s dual-carbon goals.
Since launching operations, the Enping 15-1 project in the Pearl River Mouth Basin—about 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen—has operated safely for over 15,000 hours, hitting a peak daily injection of 210,000 cubic meters. “This innovative model advances ecological protection and energy development in tandem, offering a new pathway for green, low-carbon offshore oil and gas,” says Xu Xiaohu, vice president at CNOOC’s Enping team.
By tackling technical hurdles and refining its operating procedures, CNOOC has built a standardized approach that paves the way for large-scale offshore carbon storage. Upgrades to the Enping 15-1 platform include CO₂ compressors, gas-liquid separation, impurity filtration, and precise temperature control—ensuring high-quality CO₂ injection without corroding equipment or raising emissions.
“Our layered injection and precision control system targets specific subsurface layers through a wellbore narrower than 20 centimeters, boosting oil displacement efficiency while guaranteeing sequestration safety,” explains Wang Lin, production supervisor on the platform.
Looking ahead, the Enping 15-1 field aims to inject more than 550 million cubic meters of CO₂ over the next decade—potentially increasing crude oil output by up to 200,000 tonnes. As the world seeks scalable solutions for climate action, China’s offshore CO₂ storage breakthrough offers a compelling blueprint for sustainable energy and carbon management.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
