Rig at the Wenchang 9-7 oilfield development project CNOOC
Drilling & Production

Production begins at CNOOC's Wenchang 9-7 oilfield development project

Baird Maritime

China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) Wenchang 9-7 oilfield development project has commenced production, the company confirmed via a press release on Monday, April 14.

The project is located in the western Pearl River Mouth Basin, with an average water depth of approximately 120 metres. The main production facility is a new drilling and production platform, which leverages the adjacent existing facilities for development.

CNOOC said 25 development wells are planned to be commissioned, including 18 production wells and seven gas injection wells.

The company expects the project to achieve a plateau production of approximately 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2027. The oil property is light crude.

CNOOC said Wenchang 9-7 is the first offshore low permeability oilfield that utilises miscible gas flooding. The technology solves the problem of low permeability reservoirs development and significantly enhances oil recovery.

Meanwhile, the company has been pursuing efficient recovery and utilisation of associated gas and has been building a comprehensive gas network in the Wenchang oilfields. The pipelines are interconnected, while flare gas and waste heat are recovered.

Wenchang 9-7 is also equipped with a 5MW offshore high-temperature flue gas ORC power generation unit, which CNOOC expects will generate up to 40 million KWh of electricity and thus reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 33,000 tonnes per year.

CNOOC holds 100 per cent interest in the project, in which it is also the operator.