Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On August 18, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended the first oil production ceremony of the Beluga-South Beluga oilfield development project, operated by the Vietnam-Russia joint venture Vietsovpetro, and held a naming ceremony for the "PV Drilling VIII," an autonomous jack-up drilling rig owned by Vietnam Petroleum Drilling and Drilling Services Joint Stock Company (PV Drilling).
At the ceremony, Bui Thanh Son pointed out that this is a significant technological breakthrough, marking a new stage in the comprehensive development of PetroVietnam and its member companies. It also reaffirms the efficient, long-term, and reliable cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Russia in the oil and energy sector, vividly demonstrating the sound development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Beluga-South Beluga oilfield development project (Block 09-2/09) represents a total investment of nearly US$650 million. It includes two large production platforms, CPP-KNT (approximately 12,500 tons) and WHP-KTN (approximately 3,600 tons); over 84 kilometers of subsea pipelines and 3.5 kilometers of subsea cables; the upgrading of three existing platforms: MSP9, MSP10, and BK15; and 28 drilling wells.
Vu Mai Khanh, General Manager of the Vietnamese-Russian joint venture Vietsovpetro, stated that the project officially received its first commercial crude oil at 7:09 AM on July 14, 2025, one day ahead of schedule. This achievement resulted in over 6.6 million man-hours of absolute safety, without any accidents or serious incidents. The initial oil inflow will help maintain production levels, ensuring national energy security and safeguarding maritime sovereignty amid declining production in surrounding oilfields, while further consolidating Vietsovpetro's position in offshore oil exploration and development.
Earlier that morning, Pei Qingshan attended the naming ceremony for PV Drilling's autonomous jack-up drilling platform, "PV Drilling VIII." Equipped with internationally advanced technology, the platform achieves exceptional drilling efficiency. Designed to operate in water depths up to 400 feet, it can drill to a maximum depth of 30,000 feet, equivalent to the height of Mount Everest.
The commissioning of "PV Drilling VIII" expands PV Drilling's offshore drilling platform fleet to six. Currently, drilling contracts have been signed with clients in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, fully demonstrating PV Drilling's complete autonomy in technology control, overall management processes, and supply chain. (End)
