CNOOC, ENI Discover Crude In Eastern South China Sea HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- CNOOC Ltd. (CEO) (CEO), China's largest offshore oil producer by production, said Monday that its partner, Italy's ENI S.p.A (E). (E) has discovered crude oil in a block in the eastern South China Sea.
CNOOC and ENI earlier signed a production sharing contract to jointly explore for crude oil in Block 16/19 in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, about 180 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong.
During the drill stem test, Block 16/19 was tested to produce about 5,000 barrels of high quality oil a day, CNOOC said in a statement.
The well was drilled to a total depth of more than 3,900 meters in about 102 meters of water.
The company said Block 16/19 is likely to be commercially viable due to its proximity to the existing production facilities of another offshore oilfield. Under the production sharing contract, CNOOC has the right to acquire up to a 51% working interest in any commercial discoveries in the block.
China has been actively looking for new oil and gas reserves domestically and internationally, both onshore and offshore, as the country has been a net crude oil importer since 1993.
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Chinese Oil Firm's Partner Makes Discovery in South China SeaText of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)
Beijing, 19 December: China National Offshore Oil Company Limited (CNOOC Ltd.) announced Monday [19 December] that its partner Italy- based, Eni, has made a new discovery in the Eastern South China Sea.
The discovery at well HZ25-4-1 is located in Block 16/19 in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, about 180 km southeast of Hong Kong.
The well was drilled to a total depth of more than 3,900 metres in about 102 metres of water. The well is expected to produce more than 5,000 barrels of high quality oil a day.
Zhu Weilin, vice-president of the Company and General Manager of exploration department, said that due to its proximity to the existing production wells the new discovery is more likely to be commercially viable.
According to the partnership agreement, CNOOC Ltd. has the right to acquire up to 51 per cent working interest in any commercial discoveries in the block.
Incorporated in Hong Kong in August 1999, CNOOC Limited is a 70.64 per cent held subsidiary of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), China's largest offshore oil and gas producer.