China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced that the country's largest offshore gas field, 'Deep Sea No. 1', has reached a historic milestone by completing its 100th crude oil shipment. In 2025, the field's total production exceeded 4.5 million tons of oil equivalent, positioning it at the level of a medium-sized onshore field and consolidating the energy sovereignty of the Asian giant. The project, whose second phase became operational last year, is considered the most complex deep-water gas development in the history of Chinese exploration. The teams operate at depths exceeding 1,500 meters below sea level, facing the most extreme temperature and pressure conditions ever recorded in the national industry. Currently, the field maintains a sustained daily production of 15 million cubic meters of natural gas and over 1,600 tons of condensate. This technological advancement enables China to reduce its dependence on energy imports and demonstrates its capability to execute highly complex engineering projects in the offshore sector. According to CNOOC authorities, the operational stability achieved in 2025 will serve as a basis for future developments in even deeper waters, projecting continuous growth in hydrocarbon extraction for 2026.
