The offshore field’s main gas-bearing play is the Ledong formation of Quaternary age. Credit: Maria Lupan/Unsplash.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has made a new hydrocarbon discovery in an ultra-shallow gas play in ultra-deep water in the South China Sea.

The Chinese state-owned oil and gas giant describes the discovery as “a major exploration breakthrough”.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Located in an average water depth of approximately 1,500m, the discovered Lingshui 36-1 gas field has been tested.

Testing has shown production of more than 10mcm/d of open flow natural gas.

CNOOC deputy chief exploration officer Xu Changgui said: “The exploration in ultra-deep water ultra-shallow gas plays in the South China Sea is faced with world-class engineering and technical challenges.

See Also:

“The successful testing of Lingshui 36-1 is a breakthrough for the exploration in such plays. The company will continue to tackle the challenges on the exploration and development of the resources in such plays, to expedite the utilisation of natural gas in deep waters.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The field’s main gas-bearing play is the Ledong formation of Quaternary age, with an average burial depth of 210m.

CNOOC CEO and president Zhou Xinhuai said: “South China Sea has been a major region for the company to boost natural gas reserves and production.

“The successful testing of Lingshui 36-1 further expands the resource base for the development of a trillion-cubic-metres gas region in South China Sea. CNOOC Limited will continue to step up exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources in South China Sea and to enhance our capacity of energy supply.”

Earlier this year, CNOOC made a significant discovery at the Qinhuangdao 27-3 oilfield in the Bohai Sea.

Situated in the north-central waters of the Bohai Sea, the oilfield has an average water depth of around 25m.