China Discovers Large Natural Gas Field in South China Sea

China has discovered a major natural gas field in the South China Sea. The field, named Lingshui 36-1, is estimated to contain more than 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas and lies at an average depth of about 1.5 kilometers. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced the discovery on Thursday.

According to the global LNG market outlook report by Blackridge, China is the largest importer of liquefied natural gas. The discovery of the gas field will help increase energy security in China, the world’s largest importer of natural gas. By 2023, around USD 64.3 billion will be spent on 120 million tons of liquefied natural and pipeline gas.

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Xu Changgui, CNOOC’s chief geologist, said, "Ultra-shallow gas reservoirs are important hydrocarbon sources in deep waters. However, you must overcome world-class challenges to explore and develop the reservoirs. CNOOC Limited has adopted new exploration concepts on the formation mechanism and new technological approaches to tackle the challenges. The successful discovery of Lingshui 36-1 has opened up a new area of exploration for gas resources in ultra-deep-water ultra-shallow plays."

Lingshui Natural Gas Field: Details

• Location: Lingshui 36-1 gas field is in the southern portion of the Central Sag, Qiongdongnan Basin
• Water Depth: 1,500 meters
• Burial depth: 210 meters
• Gas field type: ultra-shallow gas field. 
• Production Capacity: 10 million cubic meters/day

Background of the Discovery

China has been searching for oil and gas resources in the South China Sea for decades. Multiple large-size gas fields have been discovered in the Yinggehai, Qiongdongnan, and Pearl River Mouth basins, namely Dongfang 1-1, Liwan 3-1, Lingshui 17-2, Baodao 21-1, and now Lingshui 36-1. The total proved gas in the region has exceeded one trillion cubic meters. 

About CNOOC

China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China, was established as a state-owned mega company with the approval of the State Council on February 15, 1982. The main business covers upstream, midstream, and downstream projects, professional technical services, refining product sales and fertilizers, financial services, and new energy businesses like offshore wind power.

Read: Russia Discovers Vast Oil and Gas Reserves in British Antarctic Territory

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