BEIJING, China- China’s first 100-billion-cubic-metre-scale offshore gas field has entered full production, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to strengthen domestic energy supplies and support growing demand.
The first phase of the Bozhong 19-6 gas field in the Bohai Sea is now fully operational, with daily oil and gas output exceeding 5,200 tonnes, according to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
The project is expected to help optimise China’s regional energy structure and provide additional support for economic and industrial activity, particularly during the peak summer energy-demand period.
Located in the central waters of the Bohai Sea, Bozhong 19-6 has proven geological reserves of more than 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas and more than 200 million cubic metres of oil liquids.
Complex offshore development
The gas field is located more than 5,000 metres underground, with oil and gas reservoirs spread across complex geological formations and densely fractured buried-hill structures.
The geological conditions have made development significantly more challenging than conventional offshore oil and gas projects, requiring advanced drilling and extraction technologies.
Despite the technical challenges, Bozhong 19-6 has already produced more than 2.8 billion cubic metres of natural gas, making it an important contributor to China’s domestic gas supply.
The field is the largest offshore gas field in eastern China and is expected to play a key role in supplying energy to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and communities around the Bohai Rim.
Boost to energy security
China’s natural gas reserves are unevenly distributed, with larger deposits concentrated in western regions and comparatively smaller reserves in the east.
The development of Bozhong 19-6 therefore provides an important source of locally produced gas for one of the country’s most economically active regions.
Its full operation comes as China enters a period of peak summer energy consumption, when demand for electricity, industrial production and household cooling typically rises.
The additional production is expected to help meet the energy requirements of residents and businesses while reducing pressure on other sources of supply.
Second phase under development
Development of the field is continuing, with drilling operations for the second phase already fully underway.
The expansion is expected to further increase production from the Bohai offshore area and strengthen the contribution of domestic oil and gas resources to China’s overall energy supply.
