CNOOC eyeing deepwater equipment manufacturing

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has announced its plan to invest in the deepwater equipment manufacturing. In the next five to eight years, CNOOC’s growth in the deepwater sector is expected to boost the development of the domestic raw material market, and to enhance the nation’s shipbuilding industry, metallurgy industry, as well as the deepwater sector.

In addition, CNOOC will not only manufacture deepwater equipment, but also guarantee the commercial operation of the equipment and train skilled workers for the nation’s deepwater sector, according to Jin Xiaojian, general manager for engineering construction at CNOOC.

Currently, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding’s deep-water semi-submersible drilling unit is under construction and is the first drilling unit in China which is capable of operating at a water depth of 3,000m.