CNOOC says main structure of Dongfang gas field platform is complete

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) said on the 4th that construction of the main structure of the new central platform at the Dongfang 1-1 gas field had been completed and comprehensive commissioning had begun. The project is China's first demonstration of offshore carbon dioxide injection and enhanced gas recovery technology; the stages announced were main-structure completion and entry into commissioning.

The platform collects and purifies carbon dioxide produced alongside extracted gas, then pressurizes it for reinjection into geological formations. It aims to improve recovery of natural gas that is difficult to extract while permanently storing carbon dioxide. It weighs about 17,000 tonnes, stands taller than a 28-story building and has a total deck area exceeding 10,000 square meters.

Dongfang 1-1, China's first independently operated offshore gas field, began production in 2003 and has produced more than 50 billion cubic meters of gas in total. As development entered its middle and later stages, natural gas output declined while carbon dioxide content increased. The project originated from a proposal to use the growing amount of carbon dioxide to increase gas production.