China's first ultra-deepwater gas field, "Shenhai-1," has produced over 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas and more than one million cubic meters of condensate oil since the project entered operation three years ago, according to data released by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on Wednesday.
For three consecutive years, the project's annual natural gas production has remained above 3 billion cubic meters.
The "Shenhai-1" gas field, located in the southern part of south China's Hainan Province, is divided into two phases of development.
It operates at a maximum water depth of over 1,500 meters, with well depths exceeding 5,000 meters. The formation temperature reaches up to 138 degree Celsius, and the maximum formation pressure exceeds 69 megapascals, which is 1,000 times the working pressure of a household pressure cooker.
This makes it the deepest, highest-temperature, highest-pressure, and most challenging deep-water gas field for exploration and development that China has independently developed to date. In 2024, the gas field's natural gas output surpassed 3.2 billion cubic meters.
"The Phase II has driven the overall production capacity of 'Shenhai-1' to continue rising. By continuously optimizing process flows, equipment combinations, and improving production management measures, we successfully ensured that Phase I of the 'Shenhai-1' project reached its peak production capacity within just five months of being put into operation," said Song Jinlong, director of the project.
In recent years, with the rapid development of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, China's offshore oil and gas exploration and development sector has actively explored digital and intelligent transformation.
As China's first ultra-deepwater intelligent gas field, the construction of "Shenhai-1" marks a significant milestone, positioning China's offshore oil and gas development technology among the world's leading ranks.
Whether it's the field operators offshore or the technical experts at the onshore control center, they can access real-time and accurate information about the latest operational status of "Shenhai-1" through the cloud, enabling remote diagnostics of equipment faults.
"Currently, we have established a comprehensive sea-land communication network for 'Shenhai-1', featuring a cluster of multi-type intelligent monitoring devices that cover both offshore and subsea operations, along with the 'Shenhai Cloud Travel' integrated management platform, which includes the digital twin model of 'Shenhai-1'," said Li Jinsong, general manager of Lingshui-Yacheng Operation Company of CNOOC's Hainan subsidiary.
Natural gas output from deep-water field exceeds 10 billion cubic meters in three years
