A submarine pipeline at a depth of 1,542 meters on the south side of the Lingshui 17-2 gas field was recently completed, marking a breakthrough for China in laying pipelines in deep water, according to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

(Photo via China National Offshore Oil Corporation)

Located in the South China Sea, Lingshui 17-2 is the country’s first self-operated deepwater gas field.

The technical difficulty of laying undersea pipeline increases exponentially with increasing depths, the CNOOC said. Previously, the technology for laying pipeline at a depth of more than 1,500 meters had been monopolized by a few multinational oil companies.

This is China’s first time installing pipeline into a water depth of 1,500 meters, said Yu Changsheng, vice president of Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. under the CNOOC. The pipe-laying project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The operation was conducted by the ship CNOOC 201, the country's domestically developed auto-navigation crane vessel with a capacity of laying pipes at a maximum water depth of 3,000 meters.

You Xuegang, deputy chief manager of CNOOC Zhanjiang branch, said the project is part of the Lingshui 17-2 gas field 150 kilometers south of the Hainan Island.

The gas field is expected to begin operation in 2021 and supply 3 billion cubic meters of gas to Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan and other places each year, You added.