China's first self-operated 1,500m deep-water gas field starts production

BEIJING - Deep Sea No1, China's first self-operated 1,500-meter deep-water gas field, started production on Friday, according to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The operation of the gas field, 150 km off the city of Sanya in South China's island province of Hainan, marks the country's capability of ultra deep-water drilling for oil and gas, compared with the 300-meter depth previously, said the CNOOC.

Production at the gas field, detected in 2014, is of great significance to ensuring national energy security, optimizing the country's energy structure and promoting regional economic development, said the CNOOC.