VESSEL REVIEW | Offshore Oil 166 – Jackup processing platform to facilitate crude production in China's Beibu Gulf

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has taken delivery of a new self-elevating mobile oil and gas production platform built by local company Wuhu Shipyard.

Offshore Oil 166 (海洋石油166; Haiyang Shiyou 166) has a length of 62 metres (200 feet), a moulded beam of 46 metres (150 feet), a moulded depth of 6.2 metres (20 feet), a lightship displacement of 11,500 tonnes, and a gross tonnage of 8,893.

The four cylindrical pile legs each have a length of 85 metres (280 feet) and will enable operation in water depths of up to 45 metres (150 feet) even amid strong winds and waves, while the production platform itself is the largest vessel of its kind to enter service in China, according to local media.

Full processing setup similar to those on conventional floating units

Offshore Oil 166 was built to provide a fully integrated, “one-stop” layout for offshore oil processing functions by combining full-cycle oil, gas and water treatment systems (which are typically found on both self-elevating and conventional platforms) with production utility and accommodation modules.

The platform boasts more than 3,900 sets of equipment for functions such as oil and gas extraction, oil-water separation, treatment, storage and transportation. A helicopter deck is also fitted.

Fitted with broad array of intelligent systems for ensuring safe operation

The platform also has ten different intelligent systems including those for monitoring and for integration of oil and gas production data.

Offshore Oil 166 was built in compliance with China Classification Society requirements. The platform has already been deployed by CNOOC in Beibu Gulf off the Guangxi autonomous region to support the development of the western section of the Weizhou 10-3 oil field.

The platform has a projected processing capacity of 500,000 cubic metres (17.7 million cubic feet) of crude per year.