CNOOC completed the main structure of the central platform for its Dongfang 1-1 CO2 injection project in Qingdao on 4 October 2026, with pre-shipment commissioning now under way. The company describes the South China Sea development as China’s first offshore demonstration of CO2 injection for enhanced gas recovery.
Installation of an 880-tonne waste-heat power generation unit marked completion of the platform’s main construction work. The facility carries more than 240 equipment units and packages, including low-temperature CO2 removal, heat recovery and organic Rankine cycle power generation systems. Its piping exceeds 27,000 metres, while installed cables total 350,000 metres.
The platform weighs nearly 17,000 tonnes and has more than 10,000 square metres of deck area. Its topsides are scheduled to depart for Hainan in November 2026 for offshore installation and connection to the field’s existing production facilities, according to Hainan Daily. CCTV reported that the project is scheduled to begin production in 2027.
At the offshore site, the jacket has already been installed. It stands 77.2 metres high, has eight legs and 12 skirt piles, and weighs nearly 8,000 tonnes for installation. Nearby platforms and subsea pipelines constrained the operation. The installation team adjusted the launch and wet-tow plan, moving the upending operation to open waters and using three-dimensional simulation and continuous surveying to control positioning.
The processing system combines low-temperature distillation with membrane separation. CNOOC puts its CO2 purification capacity at 1.75 million cubic metres per day. The company says the process could reduce energy consumption by 20% compared with conventional CO2 removal methods and increase gas recovery by more than 12%.
CO2 separated from produced gas will be compressed and reinjected into gas-bearing formations to help recover additional gas while providing permanent storage. The project is expected to store more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually once operational.
The new facility is also planned to link with 12 platforms, including those serving Dongfang 13-2 and Dongfang 29-1. Dongfang 1-1 itself started production in 2003 and has produced more than 50 billion cubic metres of gas. As the field has matured, declining gas output and rising associated CO2 have increased the need for gas recovery and CO2 treatment.
