Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-09-02 00:34Core Insights - China's offshore heavy oil thermal recovery has surpassed 5 million tons since its exploration began in 2008, making it the first country to achieve large-scale offshore heavy oil thermal recovery development globally [1] - Heavy oil, characterized by high viscosity and density, poses significant extraction challenges, yet it constitutes approximately 70% of the world's remaining oil resources, making it a key focus for oil-producing countries [1] - China is one of the world's top four heavy oil producers, with proven reserves of high-viscosity heavy oil exceeding 600 million tons offshore, representing about 20% of the country's total proven heavy oil reserves, indicating substantial development potential [1] Industry Developments - The primary method for developing high-viscosity heavy oil is thermal recovery, which involves injecting high-temperature and high-pressure steam into the reservoir to reduce viscosity, making it easier to extract [1] - Offshore operations face challenges such as limited working space and high costs compared to onshore oil fields, complicating the large-scale development of heavy oil thermal recovery [1] - To efficiently utilize heavy oil reserves, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has proposed the "fewer wells, higher production" thermal recovery development theory to address issues like low thermal recovery capacity and significant heat loss, thereby improving heavy oil recovery rates [1] - Current offshore heavy oil thermal recovery is primarily concentrated in the Bohai Sea, with several key thermal recovery oil fields established, including Nanpu 35-2, Luda 21-2, and Jinzhou 23-2, with production expected to reach 2 million tons this year [1]