China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has initiated production at its billion-tonne Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield Development Project (Phase I) located in the northern Bohai Sea. This significant milestone marks the commencement of operations in the central Bohai Bay, where the oilfield rests at an average water depth of 20 meters.
The Phase I project is set to reach a peak production of approximately 22,300 barrels of oil equivalent daily by 2025. The oil extracted is classified as light crude, which is favorable for refining processes.
Key infrastructure for Phase I includes a new central processing platform and an unmanned wellhead platform. Liu Jingliang, director of Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield at CNOOC Tianjin Branch, stated, \"For Phase I of the Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield Development Project, we plan to develop 33 wells and put them into production. The peak daily production of oil and gas equivalent is expected to exceed 3,500 cubic meters.\"
The oilfield boasts a petroleum reservoir with an accumulative 200 million cubic meters, making it the world's largest metamorphic oilfield. These reservoirs are situated in seabed hills thousands of meters beneath the surface and are primarily composed of metamorphic rocks.
Thanks to standardized engineering practices, the Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield transitioned from discovery to production in just three years, swiftly converting reserves into active production. The Bohai Oilfield region now encompasses over 50 oil and gas fields in production and more than 200 production facilities.
In 2024, the Bohai Oilfield maintained steady growth in oil and gas production, consistently achieving over 30 million tonnes of crude oil annually for three consecutive years. The cumulative oil and gas equivalent production has surpassed 600 million tonnes. Recent years have also seen the Bohai Oilfield explore and discover six billion tonnes of oil and gas fields, underscoring its pivotal role in the region's energy landscape.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
