CNOOC confirms heavy oil find in Bohai shallow depression zone

Sept. 30, 2021
Kenli 10-2 is in 15.7 m (51.5 ft) water depth in the Laizhou Bay Sag.

Offshore staff

HONG KONG – CNOOC has discovered a large oil field in southern Bohai Bay, offshore China.

Kenli 10-2 is in 15.7 m (51.5 ft) water depth in the Laizhou Bay Sag. The main oil-bearing interval is in the lower part of the Neogene Minghuazhen formation.

The well, which was completed at a depth of 1,520 m (4,987 ft), and encountered oil pay zones with a total thickness of around 27 m (89 ft). On test the well flowed around 569 b/d of heavy oil.

Xu Changgui, general manager of Exploration at CNOOC, said this was a breakthrough discovery that confirmed the prospectivity of the region for lithological structures, with estimated reserves of 100 MM tons in Bohai’s shallow depression zone. It could also help guide exploration in other, similar basins.

09/30/2021