New CNOOC development project in South China Sea marks key offshore milestone

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has officially launched its adjusted joint development project at the Panyu Oilfield in the South China Sea, marking a significant advancement in China's offshore oil production.

Located about 200 kilometers southeast of Shenzhen, in the Pearl River Estuary Basin of south China's Guangdong Province, the project officially began production on Thursday, according to CNOOC.

The development integrates a newly constructed Panyu 10-1 wellhead platform with the existing Panyu 10-2 platform, along with a new unmanned Panyu 11-12 platform.

Together, these platforms will support 15 oil production wells across the Panyu 10-1, 10-2, and 11-12 oilfields. Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce nearly 2,000 tons of crude oil per day.

"By leveraging intelligent technologies like power networking, 5G communication, and subsea pipeline and cable laying, we've established a multifunctional network that connects with the existing production facilities at the Panyu Oilfield, forming an intelligent oilfield cluster that integrates digitalization, automation and unmanned operations," said Wang Shengdong, general manager, Panyu Operations Company, CNOOC Shenzhen Branch.

In particular, the Panyu 11-12 platform is the first of its kind in China to remotely develop offshore heavy oil fields using unmanned platforms.

The platform can be operated under the "typhoon production mode," allowing for remote operation from land after evacuating offshore personnel during a typhoon. Using satellite transmission, this mode ensures minimal or no production downtime during adverse weather conditions.

The Panyu 11-12 platform also integrates advanced systems for oil and gas separation, heating, and boosting, all of which can be controlled remotely from both the central platform and a land-based control center.

Additionally, the platform has the capability to perform complex tasks, such as remote logging, well killing, and resuming production, making it a crucial innovation for improving both operational efficiency and safety in challenging offshore environments.

New CNOOC development project in South China Sea marks key offshore milestone

Over 80,000 foreign travelers have entered south China's Hainan Province visa-free since the launch of the island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), an increase of 64 percent year on year, according to official data.

Since the special customs operations began on Dec 18, 2025, ports across the province have maintained stable operation, with the number of foreign travelers continuously growing.

Data from the Haikou General Station of Immigration Inspection showed that from Dec 18, 2025 to Friday, ports across Hainan inspected 180,000 foreign nationals entering and exiting the country, an increase of 46.5 percent year on year, accounting for 58.6 percent of the total number of inbound and outbound travelers during the same period.

A total of 80,000 foreign travelers entered under visa-free policies, accounting for 94.2 percent of the total number of foreign tourists entering the country during the period.

Most of the foreign travelers came to China for tourism, who were mainly from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, and Singapore.

Hainan sees sharp increase in foreign travelers entering visa-free