China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on Wednesday confirmed the discovery and approval of the world's first large, ultra-shallow gas field in ultra-deep waters. This monumental find represents a significant stride forward for China's energy sector, bridging the existing technological divide on a global scale.

The Lingshui 36-1 gas field is located in waters southeast of Hainan, China's southernmost island province. It boasts proven original gas in place (OGIP) exceeding 100 billion cubic meters. The field's unique characteristics include an average water depth of approximately 1,500 meters and an average gas layer burial depth of 210 meters.

This extraordinary discovery presents a formidable challenge due to its classification as an ultra-deep water ultra-shallow formation within the Qiongdongnan Basin. 

While shallow gas is abundant in the seabed, its precarious position, just 210 meters below the 1,500-meter water surface, makes it highly susceptible to dispersion caused by ocean currents. The formation of a commercially viable oil and gas field under such conditions was previously deemed impossible by experts.

CNOOC estimates that the combined OGIP of the Yinggehai, Qiongdongnan and Zhujiangkou basins in the South China Sea is more than 1 trillion cubic meters.