CNOOC announces major exploration success in Pearl River Mouth Basin
Published by Elizabeth Corner,
Senior Editor
Oilfield Technology,
China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has achieved a milestone in ultra-deepwater natural gas exploration by drilling a well in the Liwan 4-1 structure within the Pearl River Mouth Basin.
The company said this well represents the first substantial exploration success in ultra-deepwater carbonate rocks offshore China.
Situated in the hydrocarbon-rich Baiyun Sag, approximately 300 km south-east of Shenzhen, the well reached a water depth of nearly 1640 m.
It was drilled to a vertical depth of nearly 3000 m and finished at a depth of almost 4400 m, revealing a gas pay zone of around 650 m in the horizontal section.
Testing of the well yielded an absolute open flow natural gas production rate of 430 000 m³/d.
The energy company noted that the discovery has unveiled promising exploration prospects in the ultra-deepwater Globigerinid limestone in China and is set to advance the natural gas exploration efforts in Baiyun Sag.
CNOOC Chief Geologist Xu Changgui said: “Previously, exploration in China's ultra-deepwater areas mainly focused on clastic rocks.
The success of this well has, for the first time, revealed the enormous potential of carbonate rocks in China’s ultra-deep waters, marking significant breakthroughs in both exploration understanding and operational techniques.
“In addition, this discovery is close to the existing production facilities of Liwan3-1 gas field, which could be utilised to develop the new discovery, thereby enabling economic and efficient development of natural gas resources in the deep waters of the Pearl River Mouth Basin.”
Earlier in the month, CNOOC commenced production at the Wushi 17-2 Oilfields Development Project in the Beibu Gulf, with an average water depth of around 28 m.
By 2026, the project is expected to reach peak production of roughly 9900 boe/d, with the oil being classified as light crude.
Last month, CNOOC received official approval for a proved gas in-place volume exceeding 100 billion cubic metres at the Lingshui 36-1 field in the South China Sea.
With this approval, the total proved gas in-place in the South China Sea has now exceeded 1 trillion m3.
Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/12092024/cnooc-announces-major-exploration-success-in-pearl-river-mouth-basin/
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