China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has initiated drilling operations for the nation’s first offshore carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) well at the Enping 15-1 platform, located in the Pearl River Mouth basin of the South China Sea.
This 3,243-meter well uses a groundbreaking technique known as “reusing old wells with zonal gas injection,” which not only helps improve oil recovery but also ensures the permanent storage of carbon dioxide.
Rather than constructing new wells, CNOOC is opting to repurpose existing wells that are underused or experiencing declining output. This approach minimizes both operational costs and environmental impact.
The first trial injection of CO2 is scheduled to begin in April. Over the next ten years, the project aims to inject more than 1 million metric tons of CO2 into subsea formations, while simultaneously increasing oil production by 200,000 tons.
Situated approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen in waters 90 meters deep, Enping 15-1 stands as the largest offshore oil platform in Asia.
The field has a naturally high CO2 content, which, if extracted using conventional methods, would lead to higher emissions and potential corrosion risks for offshore infrastructure and pipelines.
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This project builds on CNOOC’s inaugural offshore CCS (carbon capture and storage) initiative, which was launched at the same platform in June 2023.
That project has successfully stored over 180,000 tons of CO2 during nearly 13,000 hours of operation.
Mr. Zhou Xinhuai, CEO of the Company, commented: “The successful commissioning of the Enping 15-1 oilfield CCS demonstration project will strongly support the Company’s efforts in increasing reserves and production and pursuing green and low-carbon development.”
“CNOOC Limited will continue to gear up its R&D activities, to promote the green development of offshore oilfields, and explore ‘offshore storage of onshore carbon’ to provide a new solution of carbon reduction for the high-emitting enterprises in the coastal areas.”
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