CNOOC Fully Commissions Phase I of Bohai Sea Bozhong 19-6 Gas Field

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has fully commissioned the Phase I development project of the Bozhong 19-6 gas field, the first offshore field in the Bohai Sea with proven reserves exceeding 100 billion cubic meters. The project currently produces more than 5,200 metric tons of oil and gas equivalent daily. Located in central Bohai waters with reservoir depths exceeding 5,000 meters, the field supplies natural gas directly to the energy-intensive Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Bohai Rim regions, addressing eastern China's traditional domestic gas deficit.

The commissioning provides immediate pipeline supply to China's northern and eastern economic hubs during peak summer demand, reducing reliance on long-distance west-to-east pipelines and imported liquefied natural gas.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has brought the Phase I development project of the Bozhong 19-6 gas field into full commercial operation, state media reported on Saturday. The project, situated in the central Bohai Sea, represents the first major offshore gas development in the Bohai basin with proven reserves surpassing 100 billion cubic meters. According to CNOOC, daily production from the Phase I facilities has exceeded 5,200 metric tons of oil and gas equivalent. Bozhong 19-6 holds proven in-place geological natural gas reserves exceeding 200 billion cubic meters and liquid crude oil reserves topping 200 million cubic meters. Tapping the formation has posed significant technical hurdles: the reservoirs are buried at depths exceeding 5,000 meters and feature complex, fractured geology, making extraction far more challenging than conventional offshore reservoirs in the region. The field stands as the largest domestic gas discovery in eastern China to date. Historically, China's domestic natural gas reserves have been concentrated in western interior basins, requiring extensive pipeline networks to reach demand centers along the eastern and northern seaboards. To date, Bozhong 19-6 has produced a cumulative total of more than 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The full commissioning of Phase I comes amid the mid-summer demand peak, providing a localized energy source for household consumption and industrial operations across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei corridor and the wider Bohai Rim. CNOOC has adopted a phased development model characterized by preliminary trial operations followed by staged expansion. Drilling operations for the Phase II development project are now fully underway, aiming to further expand domestic offshore gas supply in the coming years.