Platform for expanding production in 100-meter-deep waters begins operating in China
China has officially launched its first offshore platform for expanding oil and gas production directly at an operating facility, designed to operate in waters about 100 meters deep. This was reported by ECNS, citing the Shenzhen branch of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). It was commissioned after the first adjustment facility was successfully launched on Wednesday as part of the Enping 24-2 field expansion project.
Expansion of the existing platform
The platform is located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen, in waters nearly 100 meters deep. The project involved modular installation without halting production or rebuilding the existing production system.
On the platform, 12 well slots were added, and provisions were made for the installation of 16 adjustment wells. According to ECNS, this is expected to help overcome offshore production capacity constraints.
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Fields and technical solutions
The Enping 24-2 field is one of the key production facilities in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Since production began in October 2014, more than 12 million metric tons of crude oil have been extracted there. At the same time, after more than 10 years of operation, the original platform had reached its limits in terms of available working space and the number of drilling slots, although significant reserves remained in the field.
Xu Xiaohu, deputy general manager of the Enping operating company at CNOOC Shenzhen, said that the project resolved technical tasks involving the precise offshore connection of large modules, platform expansion, system compatibility and structural safety. According to him, the solutions included the shared use of one drilling rig by two platforms and the V-shaped movement of a 40-ton crane.
Xu noted that expanding an existing platform, compared with building a new one, requires less time and investment and has a smaller impact on current production.
