Chinese state-controlled CNOOC has started output at the Caofeidian 6-4 oil field comprehensive adjustment project and the Wenchang 19-1 oil field phase 2 project offshore China, the company said today.
Caofeidian 6-4 produces mainly light crude and is located in the western part of the Bohai Sea, at an average water depth of about 20m. Wenchang 19-1 produces mainly medium crude and is located in the western part of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, at an average water depth of around 125m.
Caofeidian 6-4 is expected to achieve peak production of around 11,000 b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) in 2026 and Wenchang 19-1's output is expected to peak at 12,000 boe/d in 2027.
CNOOC plans to put into production a total of 38 development wells at the two projects. It is also planning 22 production wells at Caofeidian 6-4.
CNOOC is the operator of the projects and holds a 100pc interest.
The associated gas of Caofeidian 6-4 will be reinjected into the reservoir with gas injection compressors, which will reduce CO2 emissions by about 13,000 t/yr. Wenchang 19-1 uses a megawatt-level high-temperature flue gas ORC power generation unit, which is expected to generate up to 24GWh of electricity and reduce CO2 emissions by about 23,000 t/yr, CNOOC said.
The company has mainly started output at oil fields in 2025 but said in early March that it made a "major breakthrough" in natural gas exploration as part of a gas discovery at the Weizhou 10-5 oil and gas field at a water depth of 37m in the Beibu Gulf basin in the Bohai sea, with test results indicating production capacity of around 13.2mn ft³ of gas and about 800 b/d of crude.
