On November 19, energy companies from China, the Philippines, and Vietnam celebrated the completion of seismic data collection in the South China Sea, marking the first milestone in international collaborative efforts to explore energy resources in the region.
The seismic data collection, which serves as the preliminary work for exploring the geological structure of the seabed in a portion of the South China Sea, was conducted by the Nanhai 502 exploration vessel of China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL). The vessel completed its mission on November 16, just 75 days after departing from Guangdong Province in China.
Mr. Li Xunke, Vice President of COSL, stated, “Our progress is much faster than the planned 8-month timeline.” He noted that 11,000 kilometers of sensor cables were laid on the seabed for this mission, covering an area of approximately 140,000 square kilometers. The data has been collected smoothly and is ready for processing and analysis.
Mr. Zhu Weilin, Vice President of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the parent agency of COSL, commented, “The mutual trust and respect among the three countries have ensured significant progress in jointly exploring the South China Sea.” Mr. Zhu expressed CNOOC’s confidence in future cooperation with partners from the Philippines and Vietnam, hoping to bring peace and prosperity to the South China Sea.
