Approaching The Great Power Project | Continuously Refreshing China's Depth

The moon pool area of the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" drilling platform, which is the core working area of the platform

Taking off from Sanya Tianya Heliport, the helicopter flew over the South China Sea for more than an hour before slowly landing on the aircraft deck of the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" drilling platform. Not long ago, Well A12, the development well with the highest pressure in the second phase of the "Deep Sea No. 1" project, completed drilling operations here, setting a new record for domestic deepwater development well pressure levels. It is important to ensure the smooth commissioning of the project and further develop deepwater complex oil and gas resources. significance.

Deepwater drilling platforms are known as the "mobile land" and "the crown jewel of ocean engineering", reflecting a country's overall industrial strength. "Hai Yang Shiyou 982" is a sixth-generation deepwater semi-submersible drilling platform independently invested and built by my country.

The platform is 104.5 meters long, 70.5 meters wide, 37.55 meters high, has a maximum operating water depth of 1,800 meters, and a maximum drilling depth of 9,144 meters... As one of the world's most advanced sixth-generation drilling platforms, what has "Haiyang Shiyou 982" participated in? A major oil and gas exploration and development project? In the boundless deep sea, how can it drill and open up wasteland and lay a solid foundation for oil and gas development? Recently, reporters set foot on "Haiyang Shiyou 982" to learn about this "sea steel city".

6 thrusters ensure that the platform stays stable and "I remain unmoved" in the face of rough waves.

In the vast sea, the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" drilling platform stands proudly. Stepping onto the platform, the reporter's first feeling was that he was walking on flat ground. If he didn't look at the vast expanse of blue waves around him, it would be difficult to feel that he was on the vast South China Sea at this moment.

Dai Rui, drilling director of CNOOC's "Deep Sea No. 1" Phase II project, told reporters that there are roughly three ways for a drilling platform to "float" at sea. The first type relies on huge pile legs inserted into the seabed and "stands" in the sea; the second type, although it is floating, is fixed by many oversized anchor chains; the third type is really floating on the sea, and the drilling platform You can use your own power to fight against the current and prevent yourself from floating away. The "Hai Yang Shiyou 982" drilling platform belongs to the third type.

"When we face Category 8 and Category 9 typhoons, we rarely stop work. Because there are 6 propellers at the bottom of the platform, similar to the propellers at the bottom of a ship. They can generate energy by adjusting the direction of the propellers under the guidance of satellite positioning and computer systems. The reverse resistance resists the interference caused by ocean currents and winds, and achieves the function of accurately positioning and stabilizing the platform." Dai Rui said that for drilling platforms with dynamic positioning systems, there is no need for the assistance of tugs or engineering ships, and they can operate independently in the face of huge winds and waves. Stay safe with "go and go" sailing.

The control room with rows of monitors is like the "brain" of the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" platform. It not only allows the platform to remain stable in the ocean, but also controls the platform's operating range. After the dynamic positioning system is turned on, position sensors, wind sensors, ocean current sensors and other instruments measure data in real time and transmit the data to the computer. After processing the data, the computer issues instructions to each thruster and adjusts the thrust to ensure that the platform stays at the predetermined position stably. .

Navigation on the sea depends on the helmsman, and the helmsman points to the navigation. The high-precision offshore position reference system based on satellite navigation and positioning technology is an important equipment to ensure that offshore drilling platforms carry out offshore drilling operations. In August this year, "Offshore Oil 982" successfully completed the fault mode and effect analysis test of the dynamic positioning Beidou position reference system organized by Det Norske Veritas, becoming the second dynamic positioning drilling platform of CNOOC equipped with the Beidou position reference system.

In the driller's room of the "Haiyang Shiyou982" drilling platform, the driller is operating the drilling tools through the handle.

Since it was delivered and put into production in 2018, "Offshore Oil 982" has completed the drilling engineering operations of 49 wells, and has participated in the exploration and development operations of the first and second phases of the "Shenhai No. 1" gas field project. "Shenhai No. 1" is my country's first ultra-deepwater gas field independently explored and developed. The first phase was successfully put into production on June 25, 2021. The second phase project is another deepwater gas field independently developed by my country. "In terms of the difficulty of development and extraction, the second phase is one level higher than the first phase. Because the first phase is a normal pressure natural gas field, and the second phase is a deepwater high-pressure natural gas field, our platform also faces many challenges." "Offshore Oil 982" drilling platform manager Ke Youwei was introduced.

Courageously "dive", underwater robots continue to refresh domestic deep-water operation records

"Crash..." With a huge splash of water, an underwater robot entered the water steadily under "Haiyang Shiyou 982" and started its new round of work.

Due to the harsh deep-water environment and limited human diving depth, underwater robots have become an important tool for developing the ocean. Underwater robots are equipped with cameras and multi-functional manipulators. They carry acoustic and optical detection instruments and professional tools with multiple uses and functions to carry out various complex underwater operations. They can assist in the installation of thousands of tons of underwater structures and are lightweight and compact. Twist two millimeters of steel wire.

At present, CNOOC has various types of underwater robots ranging from light, shallow water, and observation level to heavy, deep water, and operation level. They can complete various underwater engineering operations such as jacket installation, submarine pipe laying, and cable laying, covering operating water depths from ultra-shallow water of 5 meters to ultra-deepwater of 3,000 meters. In practical applications, each drilling platform will be equipped with different levels of underwater robots based on water depth capabilities.

"Any area below the water surface is the working scope of the underwater robot. Its 'main business' is to shoot and transmit underwater images through its own camera, and its 'side job' is to complete a series of underwater operations through the manipulator." China Zhang Yuwei, drilling director of the second phase of CNOOC's "Deep Sea No. 1" project, said that semi-submersible drilling platforms generally need to be equipped with underwater robots. The platform is connected to the underwater robot through an umbilical cable. Operating the underwater robot is like "launching" on the seabed. Kite".

At different stages of drilling, underwater robots need to complete different tasks. "For example, in the surface stage, we need to use underwater robots to observe the conditions of the wellhead return and study whether the returned materials are normal; in the completion stage, underwater robots can be used for intervention operations, such as installing or retrieving equipment in the wellbore. ." Zhang Yuwei said that there are undercurrents surging under the sea surface, and strong internal wave currents can instantly push the ship hundreds of meters away. Therefore, operating an underwater robot also requires embroidery skills and cannot be sloppy at all.

"Haiyang Shiyou 982" drilling platform derrick.

In the field of offshore oil and gas exploration and development, waters with a water depth of more than 300 meters are generally called deep water, and wells with a depth of more than 3,500 meters are defined as deep wells. Although with the help of underwater robots, more difficulties need to be overcome to extract oil and gas in the deep sea. From shallow water to deep water, the quantitative change in water depth will bring about a qualitative change in the difficulty of oil and gas extraction. For example, equipment installed at a depth of 1,500 meters underwater will experience a pressure equivalent to a fingernail bearing a weight of 150 kilograms, which places extremely high demands on the technical level of design and manufacturing of deepwater oil and gas equipment.

The gas reservoir is buried more than 5,000 meters under the sea in the second phase of the "Deep Sea No. 1" project currently being operated by "Haiyang Shiyou 982". The formation pressure is as high as 69 MPa and the temperature is as high as 138°C. Among the 12 subsea gas wells deployed in the second phase, 3 wells are deepwater high-pressure wells. Among them, the A12 well that has just completed drilling operations has the highest operational risk and is extremely difficult to develop.

According to Liu Shujie, chief engineer of CNOOC Hainan Branch, the drilling depth of Well A12 exceeded 4,300 meters. At this point, the total drilling footage of the second phase of the "Shenhai No. 1" project has exceeded 50,000 meters, which is equivalent to the height of six Mount Everests. The overall progress of the work reached 90%. The drilling operation schedule of the entire project is more than 150 days ahead of schedule, and the efficiency is improved by more than 30%.

Realize the leap from shallow water to ultra-deep water and build "Chinese standards" and "Chinese solutions" for deepwater oil and gas exploration and development

If the central control room is the "brain" of the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" platform, then the moon pool is its "heart".

The so-called moon pool refers to the sea passage located inside the platform that runs through the bottom and deck of the ship. Through the moon pool, the drilling equipment and risers on the ship can be lowered into the sea for drilling operations. At the same time, it can effectively reduce the impact of external wind and waves on the drilling equipment and drilling operations. Influence.

The underwater robot is entering the water from the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" drilling platform to start a new round of work.

The staff told reporters that the reason why this place is called Moon Pond is because every time there is a calm night, the reflection of the moon can be seen from the sea below. Moreover, the moon has the meaning of homesickness in Chinese culture. Being able to enjoy the bright moon with family members far away here also gives them spiritual comfort.

Although commuting by helicopter sounds cool, every time you get on the platform, you have to work 12 hours a day for 28 consecutive days. Except for the living area used for rest, there is no signal or network in other parts of the platform. Faced with high-intensity work and endless loneliness, what supports this group of offshore oil workers to persist in their struggle?

Petroleum spirit is a word that the reporter heard mentioned by many staff members during the interview. In a conspicuous position of the "Haiyang Shiyou 982" platform, a red banner - "Blue sea is loyal, energy serves the country". Just eight words represent the platform staff's confidence in the sea, and also contain my country's infinite possibilities in the field of offshore oil and gas development.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions to "vigorously increase domestic oil and gas exploration and development and strive to ensure national energy security." In April 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping connected with the "Deep Sea One" operating platform during an inspection in Hainan. He emphasized that building a maritime power is a major strategic task to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Deep water is the main successor area for global oil and gas resources in the future and an important strategic area that world powers are competing to develop. More than 70% of the world's oil and gas resources are contained in the ocean, 44% of which come from deep water. To open the door to deepwater oil and gas exploration and development, equipment manufacturing is particularly critical.

"It is a very difficult process for my country to independently carry out deepwater operations." Zhang Yuwei recalled that under the background that deepwater exploration capabilities were decades behind those abroad, all deepwater data were in English. The project members translated English documents and went to foreign advanced The production platform learns to "make up lessons" for itself.

After more than 10 years of technological research and independent innovation, CNOOC's offshore drilling technology and operating capabilities have achieved a leap from shallow water to ultra-deep water, and have basically mastered the application of a complete set of deepwater drilling technologies for conventional deep water, ultra-deep water and deep water high temperature and high pressure. Our country has not only established a "national" deepwater exploration well drilling technology system, but also established "Chinese standards" and "Chinese plans" for deepwater development internationally.