First hydrocarbon production has started in the Pearl River Mouth basin off China.
ACT Operators Group, working with a unit of China National Offshore Oil Corp. (Cnooc), began oil flow Sept. 13 from Huizhou 21-1 field in the South China Sea, 100 miles southeast of Hong Kong. Peak production of about 30,000 b/d is expected early in 1991.
More oil production is on the way in the basin.
ACT and Cnooc's Nanhai East Oil Corp. are developing a second oil field, Huizhou 26-1, 15 miles southwest of Huizhou 21 1.
Facilities in Huizhou 21-1, a September 1985 discovery, include a four legged production and workover/drilling platform, pipelines between the platform and a single point mooring (SPM) system with a 250,000 dwt storage and processing tanker. The tanker can be disconnected through a buoyant turret mooring system in case of an approaching typhoon.
Oil is transferred from the storage tanker to shuttle tankers for transport to shore.
Huizhou 26-1, an April 1988 discovery, will begin production in September 1991, sharing Huizhou 21-1's SPM system and storage tanker. Peak production from the combined fields, both in Contract Area 16/08, is expected early in 1992 at about 80,000 b/d.
ACT partners are Agip (Overseas) Ltd., Chevron Overseas Petroleum Ltd., and Texaco Petroleum Mij. Nederland BV. Working interests in the contract area are Agip, Chevron, and Texaco 16 1/3% each, Cnooc 51%.
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