Deepwater FPSO starts production in China
The FPSO Shen Hai Yi Hao has been installed in the South China Sea (Source: CCS)
A large semi-submersible floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, Shen Hai Yi Hao, has been commissioned by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on the Lingshui 17-2 gas field in the South China Sea. The FPSO, with a displacement of 110,000 tons, is classed by China Classification Society (CCS).
It is the first deepwater FPSO to be developed in China and extends maximum exploration depth from 300m to 1,500m. The unit, built by China Offshore Oil Engineering Company for a 30-year deployment without drydocking, is designed to be capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions.
Mo Jianhui, CCS president, described construction of the Shen Hai Yi Hao as “a giant step forward” in China’s offshore development capability. CCS provided statutory survey, classification and third-party certification survey services thoughout the FPSO’s design, construction and installation phases.
The Lingshui 17-2 gas field contains about 136 billion cubic metres of recoverable gas, according to estimates by CNOOC.
