China National Offshore Oil Corporation said Sunday that secondary development of the Liuhua Oilfield, the country’s first deepwater site, is now fully operational.
The project marks a breakthrough in China’s ability to tap complex offshore reserves.
Liuhua, in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, is the nation’s largest reef limestone oilfield by proven reserves. Since opening in 1996, it has produced more than 20 million tonnes of crude.
Officials say 140 million tonnes remain untapped, prompting the new phase. The project covers the Liuhua 11-1 and Liuhua 4-1 fields, in waters averaging 305 meters deep, with 32 production wells.
Daily output has climbed to a record 3,900 tonnes since the first wells came online in September 2024.