The "Nanhai No.2" drilling platform is conducting drilling operations in the waters of Huizhou 19-6 oilfield. (Image provided by CNOOC)

In the field of marine oil and gas exploration, formations buried deeper than 3500 meters are usually referred to as deep layers, and formations buried deeper than 4500 meters are referred to as ultra deep layers. Deep and ultra deep oil and gas exploration at sea faces multiple challenges brought by high temperature, high pressure, and complex fluids. Clastic rock is an important rock type for deep-sea oil and gas storage, with poor reservoir permeability and difficulty in finding large oil and gas fields.

Peng Guangrong, Chief Geological Engineer of Nanhai East Petroleum Research Institute of CNOOC Shenzhen Branch, said that in recent years, 60% of the world's newly added oil and gas reserves have come from deep formations. Compared to the mid shallow layers, the deep ultra deep layers have the characteristics of high temperature, high pressure, high oil and gas maturity, and proximal reservoir formation, which are more conducive to the generation of natural gas and light oil. Moreover, they have abundant resources and low exploration levels, making them important replacement areas for future oil and gas reserves and production growth.

During the 14th Five Year Plan period, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) strengthened its theoretical and technological innovation in deep and ultra deep exploration, and successively achieved significant breakthroughs. It has made a series of major oil and gas discoveries in the deep and ultra deep fields, such as the Kaipingnan Oilfield, Bozhong 26-6 Oilfield, and Baodao 21-1 Gas Field.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) executive Zhou Huaixin stated that oil and gas exploration in the eastern waters of the South China Sea has repeatedly achieved breakthroughs, with the discovery of billion ton oil fields for two consecutive years, creating a new growth pole for sustained increase in offshore oil and gas production. The company will continue to increase its efforts in oil and gas exploration and development, and continue to consolidate the foundation of increasing reserves and production resources. (Reporter Yin Peng)