CNOOC Unlocks the "Technical Code" for deep oil and Gas Development
On May 26, 2025, in the Bohai Sea area - China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced that since the first phase of the Bozhong 26-6 oilfield, the world's largest metamorphic rock underground mountain oilfield, was put into operation on February 7 this year, its production capacity has been continuously released, with a stable peak daily oil and gas equivalent of 3,500 cubic meters (about 22,300 barrels of oil equivalent). This breakthrough marks a comprehensive leap from theory to practice in the development of deep and complex offshore oil and gas reservoirs in China, injecting core impetus into the Bohai Oilfield's efforts to achieve a target of 40 million tons of oil and gas production by 2025.
The "hardcore strength" of oil fields with an annual output of over 100 million tons
The Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield is located in the central part of the Bohai Sea, about 170 kilometers away from Tianjin. With an average water depth of 20 meters, its cumulative proven geological reserves of oil and gas exceed 200 million cubic meters, which is equivalent to 1.5 times the annual natural gas consumption in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Its reservoir is buried at a depth of 4,500 meters and is located in the Archean subsurface metamorphic rock stratum. The bedrock is a high-hardness granite with a compressive strength of 137-275 megapascals. The stratum temperature is as high as 178℃, and it is superimposed with a high concentration of acidic gases. It is known in the industry as the "Three Highs Extreme Challenge Zone".
Cnooc has shortened the drilling cycle by 40% through its independently developed offshore deep drilling and completion technology system, including high-torsional drill tools, high-temperature mud systems and ultra-low frequency all-round seismic exploration technology, and has broken the traditional theoretical shackles of "no large-scale oil and gas accumulation in continuously strong active fault zones".
Dual-wheel drive of intelligence and greenness
As an intelligent demonstration oilfield in the northern region, Bozhong 26-6 adopts a 5G Internet of Things +AI analysis system to build a safety management model of "Internet of Things perception - intelligent early warning - equipment linkage", achieving millimeter-level precise installation of super-large platforms (with a total weight of 18,000 tons). Meanwhile, the oilfield is building a carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) base as a supporting facility. By reinjecting mixed gas to drive oil, it is estimated that 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide will be stored throughout its life cycle, equivalent to planting 14 million trees, and the crude oil recovery rate will increase by 3.5%.
The president of CNOOC, said, "The large-scale development of Bohai 26-6 has verified China's leading position in the integration of complex oil and gas reservoir development and low-carbon technologies, providing dual support for energy security in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the 'dual carbon' goals."
The production capacity of the Bohai Oilfield has reached another peak
The commissioning of the Bohai 26-6 project has further accelerated the leap in production capacity of the Bohai Oilfield. By the first quarter of 2025, the oil and gas output in this region exceeded 10 million tons, accounting for 15% of the national crude oil output during the same period. Within this year, major projects such as the central processing platform of Kenli 10-2 Oilfield Group will be put into operation one after another, promoting the Bohai Oilfield to move towards the annual production target of 40 million tons at full speed.