Summary:
In September 2024, China's first deepwater oilfield redevelopment project, the Liuhua 11-1/4-1 Oilfield, commenced production in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. The project, led by Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd., includes the "Haiji-2" deepwater jacket platform and the cylindrical FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit) "Haikui-1." The project plans to drill 32 wells, with peak daily oil production expected to reach 2,700 tons.
Overview of the Liuhua Oilfield Redevelopment Project
Liuhua 11-1, China's first deepwater oilfield, started production in March 1996. After extensive research, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) decided to include both the Liuhua 11-1 and Liuhua 4-1 oilfields in its redevelopment plan.
The Liuhua 11-1/4-1 redevelopment project sits at an average water depth of 305 meters. The main production facilities consist of the "Haiji-2" deepwater jacket platform and the cylindrical FPSO "Haikui-1." The project plans to drill 32 wells, with a peak daily oil output of approximately 2,700 tons of heavy crude oil.
Overview of Production Facilities
The "Haiji-2" platform stands at a height of 428 meters and weighs over 50,000 tons. It is equipped with more than 300 devices that enable remote subsea wellhead control, intelligent oil and gas extraction, and typhoon-resistant remote operations. The platform also features a digital health management system to monitor environmental loads and structural responses, improving the safety and stability of deepwater oil and gas production.
"Haikui-1" stands nearly 90 meters tall, weighs about 37,000 tons, and has a maximum oil storage capacity of 60,000 tons. It can process up to 5,600 tons of crude oil per day. Comprising more than 600,000 components, "Haikui-1" is compactly designed to withstand extreme weather and can operate continuously for 15 years without needing to dock. It is equipped with nearly ten intelligent systems that allow for remote-controlled production during typhoon conditions.
Technological Innovations
According to a senior manager at CNOOC, the project introduced the innovative "deepwater jacket platform + cylindrical FPSO" development model, replacing subsea development with dry development technology. A self-developed multi-point mooring system was used instead of a single-point system, making it the first oilfield in Asia to adopt this model.
CNOOC also developed three globally pioneering technologies: S420-grade high-strength steel, high-toughness permanent mooring polyester ropes, and a self-developed central control system. The project successfully mastered a fully integrated deepwater oil and gas engineering system for depths exceeding 300 meters. The construction of "Haiji-2" was completed in 26 months with a precision margin of just 5 millimeters, and the "Haikui-1" was built in 25 months, reducing construction time by nearly 50% compared to international standards. The project's quality, safety, and progress have reached world-class levels, enabling China to build various types of deepwater oil and gas equipment across different marine environments and oilfields.
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