China Starts Production at Major Oil Field in Bohai Sea
July 22, 2025
China's state-owned oil and gas firm China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has brought online the Kenli 10-2 oil field (Phase I), the largest shallow lithological oil field offshore China.
The project is located in southern Bohai Sea, with an average water depth of about 20 meters.
The main production facilities include a new central platform and two wellhead platforms, which leverages the adjacent existing facilities for development.
According to CNOOC, 79 development wells are planned to be commissioned, including 33 cold recovery wells, 24 thermal recovery wells, 21 water injection wells and one water source well.
The project is expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 19,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026. The oil property is heavy crude.
Kenli 10-2 oil field is the first lithological oilfield with proven in-place volume of 100 million tons discovered in the shallow depression zone of the Bohai Bay Basin.
It is being developed in two phases. CNOOC has adopted an innovative combined development approach of ‘conventional water injection combined with steam huff and puff and steam flooding’, providing strong technical support for the efficient utilization of oil reserves.
The project’s platform integrates both conventional cold production and thermal recovery systems, and is equipped with over 240 sets of key equipment. It is one of the most complex production platforms in the Bohai region and the first large-scale thermal recovery platform for heavy oil in southern Bohai Sea, CNOOC claims.
“The successful commencement of production of this project marks a new stage in the development of complicated heavy oil reservoirs offshore China. It will strongly support the Company’s Bohai Oilfield to achieve the annual gross production target of 40 million tons, contributing to the Company’s high-quality development through high-level operations,” said Yan Hongtao, President of CNOOC.
CNOOC holds 100% interest in this project and is the operator.
