Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On June 6th, it was learned from Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Offshore Oil Engineering"), a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), that the cylindrical FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) unit for the Kaiping South Oilfield Development Project (hereinafter referred to as the "Kaiping Project"), undertaken by the company, commenced construction in Qingdao, Shandong Province. This is Asia's largest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas factory," designed and constructed independently by China. The successful implementation of the project will significantly enhance China's self-sufficiency level in deep-water ultra-large oil and gas equipment.
The Kaiping South Oilfield is located in the eastern part of the South China Sea, with proven geological reserves exceeding 100 million tons, making it China's largest independently discovered oilfield in deepwater. The Kaiping Project, serving as a "bridgehead" for deep-water oil and gas development in the Kaiping Depression, includes the construction of a new 100,000-ton-class cylindrical FPSO, supporting subsea pipelines and cables, and more than 30 sets of subsea production trees, innovatively constructing a "surface hub + subsea well network" cylindrical FPSO all-sea high-efficiency development technology system.
Cylindrical FPSOs are a new type of high-end offshore oil and gas equipment suitable for deepwater oil and gas development. The complexity of the subsea production system in the Kaiping project has set a new domestic record. The FPSO's hull weight, main deck, and process deck outer diameter are the largest in the world, with a full-load displacement exceeding 170,000 tons and a maximum oil storage capacity of 122,000 cubic meters, ranking second globally. Upon completion, it will become Asia's largest and heaviest cylindrical "offshore oil and gas factory" in terms of size, weight, and oil and gas processing and storage capacity.
Wang Huoping, Deputy General Manager of the Kaiping Oilfield Development Project of CNOOC Shenzhen Company, stated that the Kaiping project's location in the sea area is characterized by deep water, a new area, and deep strata, with complex geological and reservoir conditions, placing extremely high demands on the adaptability, reliability, and safety of the development equipment.
Li Da, Director of the Engineering Research and Design Institute of CNOOC Research Institute, explained that the Kaiping project's FPSO adopts a highly challenging design that allows for 30 years of offshore operation without returning to dock. This effectively copes with the frequent typhoons and harsh sea conditions in deep water, further improving China's technical system for deepwater oil and gas development equipment design and promoting a leapfrog upgrade in China's deepwater oil and gas equipment design capabilities. Compared to the "Haikui-1" FPSO, which went into operation in 2024, the Kaiping project's FPSO faces higher requirements in terms of overall construction difficulty, technical complexity, and precision control. According to Jia Huifeng, Deputy General Manager of the Kaiping Oilfield Development EPC Project of Offshore Oil Engineering, the project team adopted a "digital intelligence-driven, lean construction, and independent innovation" approach, focusing on tackling industry challenges such as the independent construction and installation of large-tonnage complex cylindrical FPSOs and subsea production systems, creating a safe, green, and intelligent deep-sea "national heavy equipment" to high standards. (End)
