This Day, That Year

Item from Jan 6, 1982, in China Daily: The Bohai No 6 offshore oil rig of the China National Petroleum Corporation, which was responsible for drilling the first high-yield oil well in the Bohai Sea.

China will put drilling rights to the promising offshore oilfields of the South China Sea and the southern Yellow Sea up for bids shortly ...

According to the Petroleum Industry Ministry, the first round of bidding, which will begin as soon as State Council approval is issued, will cover either onethird or all of the seven zones surveyed in the two areas.

China has been ramping up offshore oil and gas exploration, amid growing global interest in energy sources deep in the oceans.

The country has an estimated 24 billion metric tons of oil and 16 trillion cubic meters of gas lying under the sea. The resources are crucial for easing the country’s rising demand for fuel, energy analysts said.

The State Council has unveiled the latest national marine development plan for the next few years. Detecting and storing energy sources in offshore areas will be a main priority, according to the plan.

In 2010, China completed its first deep-sea drilling rig, the Haiyang Shiyou 981. That means the country has the technology and equipment to carry out large-scale oil and gas exploration in the field. China is also building on its global offshore oil and gas businesses.