In a splashy leap for domestic energy tech, China’s first ultra-deepwater gas field, Shenhai-1 (Deep Sea No. 1), just hit a major milestone with the successful installation of three massive underwater production systems! 💪🇨🇳 The Phase II project, led by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is now one step closer to unlocking gas reserves buried under extreme ocean pressures and temperatures.
What’s the Big Deal?
These newly installed underwater manifold centers—basically deep-sea ‘gas hubs’—are engineering marvels weighing over 540 tonnes combined! 🌍🔧 Designed to collect and transport oil and gas from seabed wells, they faced installation challenges like crushing hydrostatic pressure, unpredictable currents, and pitch-dark seabed conditions. Imagine assembling IKEA furniture… but 1,300 meters underwater!
Typhoon Season? No Problem.
Gao Xuanpeng, deputy general manager of the project, called the feat a ‘technical triumph’ amid raging typhoons and wild sea conditions. 🌀🌊 The team even set a national record for double-rope hoisting depth, overcoming issues like wire rope torsion. Talk about pressure!
Where’s Shenhai-1?
The gas field sits in the northern South China Sea, about 130 km off Hainan’s Sanya City. 🌴⚓️ Phase II aims to boost China’s energy security while testing cutting-edge tech for future deepwater projects. Who needs outer space when the ocean floor is this thrilling?
