China’s commissioning streak continues with one more offshore oil project on stream

Chinese state-owned oil and gas giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) is on top of its hydrocarbon game as it confirms a new first for China with the beginning of production at a development said to be the Asian country’s first offshore multi-layer heavy oil thermal recovery project.

While disclosing the start of production at its 100% owned Jinzhou 23-2 oilfield development project, CNOOC underlined that the project’s adoption of the method of “steam stimulation+chemical auxiliary steam flooding” to reduce the viscosity of crude oil would improve the utilization of reserves in the offshore heavy oil field.

Expected to strengthen the energy supply to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Jinzhou 23-3 oilfield is located in the northern part of the Bohai Sea, within an average water depth of approximately 13 meters, where the main production facilities include two new central processing platforms.

The company plans to commission 67 development wells, including 65 production wells and two water source wells, which are expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 17,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2027. The oil property has been identified as heavy crude.

Recently, Fulan Offshore confirmed the wrap-up of the subsea cable installation for the Jinzhou 23-2 oilfield development project, presenting the work as the longest one-length inter-platform connection in Bohai Bay.

The latest project follows on the heels of the Huizhou 26-6 oilfield project start-up, described as the firm’s first deep buried hill reservoir development in the South China Sea. The Chinese player has brought into operation many projects this year.

Two months ago, the firm kicked off production at another oilfield development project in Bohai Bay, after beginning natural gas production from a project in the South China Sea, where the total proved gas-in-place reserves exceeded one trillion cubic meters.