China sets new record in offshore oil exploration drilling speed

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has set a daily drilling record of 2,138 meters at a drilling project in Hainan Province, achieving a new milestone in offshore drilling and underscoring China's commitment to advancing its offshore oil exploration capabilities.

Offshore drilling is a complex and challenging endeavor, fraught with risks and high costs. Improving drilling speed is crucial for achieving operational objectives and maximizing resource extraction. The record-setting well, a natural gas exploration project, faced significant technical hurdles. With a design depth exceeding 3,600 meters and bottom-hole temperatures reaching 162 degrees Celsius, the drilling team had to navigate through various geological formations and address challenges like abnormal formation pressure gradients.

Liu Peikai, director of the conventional exploration well project at CNOOC (China) Limited Hainan Branch, explained the strategies behind this achievement.

"In the design stage, we optimized the wellbore structure, which shortened the entire well construction process. At the same time, we improved the drilling tool based on formation conditions during operation and created a special drilling tool with higher efficiency," Liu told China Media Group (CMG).

Safety and quality were paramount throughout the project. The drilling team employed innovative tools and leveraged digital technologies, such as big data analytics, to enhance efficiency while maintaining rigorous standards.

Zhang Botao, a project manager of the conventional exploration well project at the CNOOC (China) Limited Hainan Branch, highlighted the role of CNOOC's independently developed drilling optimization system.

"Relying on the drilling optimization system independently developed by CNOOC, we can promptly compare historical drilling data from oil and gas wells across various sea areas, make accurate analyses and judgments of downhole conditions in advance, and make better scientific decisions in the face of complex well conditions," Zhang said. "This approach effectively improves operational efficiency and the success rate."