The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced on Monday a breakthrough discovery in the eastern South China Sea. The newly identified Huizhou 19-6 oilfield, with proven reserves exceeding 100 million tonnes, marks the first large-scale integrated clastic oilfield found in deep to ultra-deep layers.
Located around 170 kilometers from Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, the oilfield sits at an average water depth of 100 meters. Test drilling has demonstrated promising potential with a daily production of 413 barrels of crude oil and 68,000 cubic meters of natural gas.
Exploration at such depths comes with significant challenges including high temperatures, elevated pressures, and complex geological conditions. Despite these hurdles, the discovery highlights the increasing importance of deep to ultra-deep layer exploration. Experts note that about 60 percent of the world’s newly discovered oil and gas reserves have originated from these challenging layers, underscoring their future potential for driving growth in energy production.
The consecutive breakthroughs in the eastern South China Sea, with oilfields registering reserves beyond 100 million tonnes for two straight years, reflect CNOOC's commitment to advancing offshore exploration and its potential impact on regional energy dynamics.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
