China National Offshore Oil Corporation Commences Construction of Asia’s Largest Cylindrical FPSO for Kaiping South Oilfield

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced on March 6 that the construction of a cylindrical Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit for the Kaiping South Oilfield Development Project (Kaiping Project) had kicked off at the Qingdao International High-end Equipment Manufacturing Base, a move that marks a significant step forward in the country’s independent deep-water oil and gas equipment development.

As the largest independently discovered deep-water oilfield in China in terms of reserves, the Kaiping South Oilfield will be equipped with a newly-built 100,000-ton-class cylindrical FPSO, supporting subsea pipelines and more than 30 subsea trees as part of the development project.

The underwater production system of the Kaiping Project has set a new domestic record in terms of complexity, while the FPSO’s hull weight and the outer diameter of its main and process decks rank first globally. With a full-load displacement exceeding 170,000 tons and a maximum oil storage capacity of 122,000 cubic meters, the unit will become Asia’s largest and most capable cylindrical “offshore oil and gas plant” in terms of size, weight and oil processing and storage capacity once completed.

Compared with the “Hai Kui No.1” put into operation in 2024, the Kaiping Project’s FPSO imposes higher requirements in terms of overall construction difficulty, technical complexity and precision control. The project team has adopted a path of “digital intelligence-driven, lean construction and independent innovation” to build a safe, green and intelligent deep-sea key equipment of national significance to the highest standards.

The sea area where the Kaiping Project is located features deep water, new development zones and deep formations, with complex geological and reservoir conditions. A dynamic development strategy of “developing while understanding and adjusting” has been adopted, placing extremely high demands on the adaptability, reliability and safety of the development equipment.

Designed for 30 years of offshore operation without dry-docking, the FPSO for the Kaiping Project can effectively cope with the harsh marine environment characterized by frequent typhoons in deep-water areas, which will further improve China’s design and technical system for deep-water oil and gas development equipment. Its successful implementation is expected to significantly enhance the country’s independent level of deep-water ultra-large oil and gas equipment and provide key equipment support for the efficient and economical development of deep-sea oil and gas resources.